EU vets consider plan to fight foot and mouth

Europe's veterinary experts are meeting in Brussels following confirmation that foot and mouth has crossed the Channel.

The Standing Veterinary Committee is considering whether there is a need to step up French measures to counter the disease.

France insists that, like the UK, it is already doing everything that can be done to isolate the outbreak and prevent it spreading.

But the European Commission has signalled no change in policy, insisting the UK's slaughter-and-burn strategy remains the most effective way of tackling the crisis.

So far the Commission has resisted introducing a vaccination policy to tackle the disease, arguing that the outbreak remains under control and "traceable" and limited to one country.

Now that a case has been identified in France, the Commission still insists the link with UK exports does not warrant an expensive vaccination programme which would cost the whole of Europe its "disease-free" status and effectively halt all exports of meat to other countries.

"There are very significant logistical and cost implications in vaccination - which would have to be twice yearly - for a Community livestock population of over 300 million susceptible animals," said a Commission spokeswoman.

"In any case, vaccination is only effective in relation to the strain of foot and mouth disease concerned, and offers no protection against other strains of the virus."

She added: "We must also remember that the loss of the EU's non-vaccination status would involve substantial losses of trade to third countries which insist on imports only from foot and mouth-free countries".

Current EU wide action against the disease includes a ban on all meat exports from the UK until March 27, a ban on livestock markets, and a ban on the movement of all disease-prone animals except for directly to the slaughterhouse.