vCJD victims may be entitled to millions in compensation from EU

IRISH victims of the human form of mad cow disease may be entitled to claim millions of euro in compensation from EU institutions.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is this week hearing evidence in two separate legal actions being taken against the EU by farmers and the relatives of people who died after contracting the variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) from eating infected beef. Both groups are seeking compensation from the European Commission and the EU Council of Ministers over their handling of the BSE controversy.

The families of Irish people who died from vCJD - as well as farmers whose herds were affected by BSE - will await the outcome of the cases with interest.