Source: European Parliament
16.10.2024
Question for written answer E-002100/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Daniel Buda (PPE), Dan-Ştefan Motreanu (PPE)
The first signs of sheep and goat plague or peste des petits ruminants (PPR) were detected in Tulcea County in Romania on 11 July 2024, on a commercial farm with a herd of 49 091 sheep, and a month later outbreaks were confirmed at 60 other sites across the country. The outbreaks were identified in the south-east and west of Romania, indicating the rapid spread of the disease despite the immediate implementation of measures to combat it.
Losses from the 60 sites amount to 232 927 animals, which has hit the livestock sector hard. The slaughter of hundreds of thousands of goats and sheep due to this epidemic has impacted significantly not just on farmers, but also right the way along the economic chain.
- 1.What aid mechanisms does the Commission intend to implement for the livestock sector?
- 2.Will the Commission authorise, as a matter of urgency, the rollout across the EU of the current vaccine against PPR?
- 3.In countries not as yet seriously affected by PPR, the protocol is to slaughter contaminated flocks but, in countries where the disease occurs frequently, an alternative to slaughter is to isolate sick animals and treat them with antibiotics to prevent secondary infections. Will the Commission endorse such an approach in order to limit the number of animals slaughtered and reduce farmers’ losses?
Submitted: 16.10.2024