Animal Health Standards

HC Deb 17 February 1989 vol 147 c438W

Mr. Home Robertson

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the proposal of the Directorate-General for Agriculture of the European Commission that rabies, Aujeszky's disease and certain other diseases of animals, poultry and fish should be treated as third category diseases subject only to discretionary controls and voluntary eradication procedures; and what steps will be taken to protect animal health standards in relation to rabies and other diseases following the implementation of the single European Market in 1992.

Mr. Donald Thompson

[holding answer 16 February 1989]: The European Commission has yet to make proposals to the Council of Ministers in relation to the Community animal health regime to apply after the completion of the internal market. They have, however, outlined a suggested strategy which would categorise diseases, and the rules which would apply, in relation to the relative seriousness of individual diseases and the prospects of eradicating or controling them.

In its strategy, the Commission envisage that category 1 would include serious diseases such as classical swine fever and foot and mouth disease with controls on movements from affected zones or areas; category 2 would control movements on the basis of herd freedom from diseases such as tuberculosis and brucellosis; category 3 would include Aujeszky's disease and rabies and these would be subject to voluntary health scheme controls.

The Commission has recently said that rabies would now be considered as a special category and we await further proposals. As far as Aujeszky's disease is concerned, we have said that the proposed voluntary health scheme approach (category3) would not provide the necessary safeguards against disease spread and would therefore put Great Britain's hard won achievements at risk. Other member states share our concerns.

In considering the animal health aspects of the single European market, the Government will continue to press for effective veterinary controls, including quarantine where justified, as long as these remain necessary to prevent the introduction of disease.