WRITTEN QUESTION E-0692/97 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) and Gastone Parigi (NI) to the Commission (6 March 1997)

Subject: Classical swine fever: checks to prevent focuses of infection being created by animals from Germany and the Netherlands

Community livestock herds are being beset by severe short-term difficulties, the most recent of which stems from the numerous cases of classical swine fever detected in Germany and the Netherlands over the past few days (since 9 and 10 February 1997).

Unless steps are taken forthwith to block imports to all parts of Community territory and especially to Italy, the main importer, from the Dutch administrative districts of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Breda, Weert, Nijmegen, Doetinchem, and Apeldorn and the German Länder or districts of Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen, Bavaria, eastern and western Prignitz, Brandenburg, and Ruppin, the spread of this disease will lead to a crisis, and the entire stock of imported pigs will consequently have to be slaughtered without any form of compensation from the countries concerned.

Will the Commission order an immediate halt to imports and issue a Directive to step up checks on pigs exported to Community territory from Germany and the Netherlands? In addition, will it issue a Directive to update those relating to the control of classical swine fever in Germany and the Netherlands whereby serological research and testing would have to be carried out - and health restrictions imposed where necessary - and 10% of the animals exported from the regions listed above would be required to undergo a spot check?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (17 April 1997)

The control measures to be applied by Member States in the event that an outbreak is confirmed under Council Directive 80/217/EEC ((OJ L 47, 21.2.1980. )) are stamping out of infected herds, epidemiological investigation to detect the source of infection and potential spread of virus from the infected herd, and the establishment of movement restrictions. The movement restrictions apply to a protection zone with a minimum radius of 3 km around the outbreak site and to a surveillance zone with a minimum radius of 10 km. These restrictions aim to prevent spread of the virus in pigs which may incubate classical swine fever but not show clinical signs of disease.

Due to the disease situation in early February 1997 it was decided to establish special safeguard measures in addition to those provided for by Directive 80/217/EEC. By Commission Decision 97/116/EC ((OJ L 42, 13.2.1997. )) a ban was introduced on the export of pigs from five Länder in Germany to other Member States, whilst Decision 97/122/EC ((OJ L 45, 15.2.1997. )) prohibited export of pigs from seven or nine regions in the Netherlands. When safeguard measures are adopted they are considered to be of a temporary nature, thus the measures are subject to regular reviews to ensure that they reflect the evolution of the disease and continue to provide protection against the spread of infection.

Intra-Community trade in live pigs is governed by the health conditions laid down in Council Directive 64/432/EEC ((OJ L 121, 29.7.1964. )). One of the conditions to be fulfilled by pigs entering intra-Community trade is that animals do not originate from an area subject to restrictions due to outbreaks of classical swine fever. It means that no pigs can originate from a protection or surveillance zone established in accordance with the provisions of Directive 80/217/EEC. The movement restrictions established for these zones remain in place for a defined period of time and until the pigs on all holdings have undergone a clinical examination and have been found to have no signs of

disease. Furthermore, a serological survey must have been carried out by representative sampling of the holdings and the absence of antibodies to classical swine fever virus is a prerequisite for lifting of movement restrictions.

The legislation governing the measures to be taken before lifting movement restrictions has taken into account that serology is an important diagnostic tool in detecting potential chronic infection which is not apparent. Thus an area cannot change health status from that of a protection or surveillance zone to the status of a free area before serology has been carried out.

Routine serological testing of pigs destined for export and coming from areas free from classical swine fever has been discussed on several occasions. The value of such a testing regime, however, has been questioned in the light of experience gained in recent years by several Member States. As an example Germany carried out country-wide serological surveys in 1995 and 1996. The survey in 1995 based on Commission Decision 94/884/EC ((OJ L 352, 31.12.1994. )) included 600 000 animals, and the survey in 1996 about 400 000 animals. The two surveys which included about one million animals did not lead to the confirmation of a single case of disease or to the detection of antibodies to classic Swine fever virus.