EU HEALTH ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Thursday to co-ordinate their response to the swine flu outbreak.

Health experts were stepping up efforts to contain a deadly outbreak of swine flu today.

The EU has today agreed to temporarily ban imports of Brazilian beef, pending the compilation of a list of farms in the country that comply with EU regulations and standards.

THE European Union has denied that yesterday’s last-minute postponement of a new policy on healthcare abroad was an “embarrassing climbdown”.

The European Commission was under fire tonight for refusing to impose an immediate ban on Brazilian beef imports into the European Union.

THE European Union’s health chief proposed an EU-wide organ donor card yesterday after a survey showed most Europeans support using such cards but only 12% actually carry one.

THE Irish are Europe’s biggest binge drinkers and even increasing the price of alcohol by 25% would not make them drink less, claims an EU-wide survey.

Ireland and Russia today banned imports of British poultry and eggs, and farmers elsewhere in Europe took steps to shield their flocks from the possible spread of deadly bird flu from an infected British turkey farm.

EU health ministers were today expected to agree to launch a targeted public information campaign to raise awareness across Europe over bird flu and to calm fears of an imminent human pandemic.

The Netherlands and France are expected today to be given EU permission to start vaccinating poultry flocks against bird flu.

The European Union today said it was following closely the bird flu outbreak in northern Nigeria and was readying millions of euros of aid for Nigeria to help fight the spread of the disease.

All European Union countries have plans to fight a possible bird flu pandemic, health officials said today, as tests confirmed the deadly strain of the virus had reached Croatia.

IRELAND will not vaccinate poultry against bird flu, Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan said yesterday.

THE Government last night defended its preparations against any outbreak of the deadly Asian bird flu after a poultry virus in Turkey was confirmed as the same strain that killed dozens in Asia.

EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou today said he advocated “the increase of vaccination among the risk population” to deal with a potential or possible pandemic.

The European Union today said the bird flu virus found in Turkish poultry was the deadly H5N1 strain.

The European Union’s high court today upheld proposed restrictions on the sale of food supplements, despite objections from trade organisations that claimed the rules would ban popular vitamin pills.

THE European Union warned last night that it would take action against Thai chicken imports if human cases of bird flu are officially confirmed in the kingdom.

The EU is searching for photographs that will be frightening enough to get people to stop smoking cigarettes.

A European disease surveillance centre is being proposed.

EUROPEAN Union health ministers have backed away from a proposal to screen travellers from areas affected by the SARS virus after taking advice from a senior UN health official.

The head of the World Health Organisation told European health ministers today to remain vigilant, predicting the deadly SARS virus had “not seen a peak” in China yet.

CHINESE athletes competing in the Special Olympics in June may be screened for SARS in a bid to minimise the health risks posed by the virus.

Chart stars Sophie Ellis Bextor and Moby are heading a Europe wide campaign to stop youngsters from smoking.