Press Contacts: DG Health and Consumer Press Office

 Trade and Imports of live animals

Pet Passport

• Travelling with pets: Pet passports to be introduced in July 2004, 27 November 2003
• Travelling with pets: simplified EU system approved, 19 February 2003
• Have pets, will travel restrictions eased on the movement of domestic pets within the EU, 27 June 2002
• Travelling with pets in the EU made easier, 3 October 2000

 Trade and Imports of Animal Products

• EU reduces the 100% testing requirement for imports of poultry meat from Brazil to 20%, 29 January 2004 (76KB)
• Commission acts to prevent introducing exotic parasites affecting honey bees into the EU, 5 August 2003 (79KB)
• Monkey Pox virus: Commission bans the import prairie dogs and rodents that could carry the disease, 16 June 2003 (63KB)
• 100% testing requirement for imports of shrimps from Thailand lifted, 23 January 2003 (61KB)
• Stopping animal disease at the border: tighter rules on personal imports of meat and milk into the EU, 19 December 2002
• Tighter rules on personal imports of meat and milk into the EU

 Prevention and Control of Animal diseases

• Animal disease control: Byrne welcomes Council adoption of eartagging for sheep and goats, 18 December 2003
• Commission approves €147 million to fight animal diseases in 2004, 16 October 2003
• Controlling the spread of animal diseases: Commission proposes eartagging for sheep and goats, 18 December 2002
• Commission approves €132 million package to fight animal diseases, 18 October 2002
• Commission approves €155 million to fight animal diseases, 16 October 2001 (16KB)

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD)

• Foot-and-mouth disease in Argentina: extension of areas under restriction, 10 October 2003 (8KB)
• FMD: Byrne welcomes new EU legislation to control outbreaks, 29 September 2003
• Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Argentina, 10 September 2003 (60KB)
• EU contribution to compensate the costs of precautionary measures against FMD taken by Germany, Belgium, Spain and Portugal in 2001, 19 August 2003 (69KB)
• FMD in Swaziland and Botswana: imports again fully authorised, 31 July 2003 (63KB)
• Foot-and-mouth disease: Paraguay and Argentinia, 18 July 2003 (69KB)
• Temporary measures adopted at EU-level to mitigate risk of FMD spreading from Libya via animal transport vehicles, 2 July 2003 (64KB)
• FMD: Byrne welcomes political agreement on improved Directive to control outbreaks, 12 June 2003
• FMD: Commission proposes improved Directive to control outbreaks, 18 December 2002
• FMD: Commissioner David Byrne welcomes European Parliament recommendations, 17 December 2002

Questions and answers (717KB) revised 12 December 2001

• Press Releases/Results & Statements of the Standing Veterinary Committee which relate to FMD

Avian Influenza

• Avian influenza: Influenza preparedness: Byrne welcomes ministers' agreement on a coordinated approach, 13th February 2004
• Avian influenza: EU experts in Vietnam help investigating threat to human health, 4th February 2004
• Avian influenza outbreak in Asia: Member States agree to prolong import embargo on poultry products, 3 February 2004
• Avian influenza: EU expert flies to Vietnam, 29 January 2004(79KB)
• EU suspends imports of Pet Birds from South East Asia, 28 January 2004
• Commission suspends EU poultry imports from Thailand after avian influenza outbreak, 23 January 2004
• European Commission offers help in Avian Influenza crisis to Vietnam, 16 January 2004
• More advance payments for the eradication of avian influenza in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in 2003, 8 January 2004(74KB)
• €1.25 million advance payments for the eradication of avian influenza in Belgium, 10 October 2003 (8KB)
• €10 million advance payments for the eradication of avian influenza in the Netherlands, 24 September 2003 (63KB)
• Avian influenza: crisis over, 11 July 2003 (59KB)
• Avian influenza: crisis over in the Netherlands, 2 July 2003 (65KB)
• Avian influenza in Germany: All measures lifted, 24 June 2003 (61KB)
• Avian influenza: First easing of restrictions in the Netherlands, 13 June 2003
• Export of live poultry and hatching eggs can resume in Belgium, 27 May 2003 (61KB)
• Update on avian influenza in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, 15 May 2003
• Commission adopts control measures to contain possible avian influenza outbreak in Germany, 12 May 2003
• Update on avian influenza in the Netherlands and Belgium, 7 May 2003 (63KB)
• Avian influenza: Byrne visits crisis centre in the Netherlands, 28 April 2003
• Avian Influenza in Belgium: Commission adopts control measures, 16 April 2003 (60KB)
• Avian influenza in the Netherlands: restrictions extended, 9 April 2003
• Avian influenza in the Netherlands: Some restrictions lifted, 26 March 2003
• No avian influenza in Belgium, 18 March 2003 Annex : Statement of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal health and of the Belgian Delegation (50KB)
• Statement of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on avian influenza outbreak in the Netherlands, 10 March 2003(53KB)
• Commission adopts control measures to contain possible avian influenza outbreak in Belgium, 12 March 2003
• Statement of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on avian influenza outbreak in the Netherlands, 5 March 2003(97KB)
• Committee prolongs control measures to contain avian influenza outbreak in the Netherlands, 5 March 2003
• Commission adopts control measures to contain avian influenza outbreak in the Netherlands, 3 March 2003
• Measures against avian influenza in Italy, 12 December 2002 (60KB)

Classical Swine Fever

• Classical swine fever: New test approved, 5 December 2003
• EU co-financing agreed for eradication of Classical Swine Fever in Germany, Luxembourg and Spain, 4 July 2003 (66KB)
• New provisions for the control of Classical Swine Fever boost economic viability of pig farming and improve animal health, 31 October 2002
• Classical Swine Fever in France, Luxembourg, Germany and Spain, 6 June 2002 (65KB)
• Classical Swine Fever in Germany, Luxembourg, France and Spain, 8 May 2002
• Classical Swine Fever in Germany and Spain, 11 April 2002
• Classical swine fever in Luxembourg, Spain and Germany, 6 March 2002 (66KB)
• Classical Swine Fever in Luxembourg: export of pigs banned, 20 February 2002
• Foot-and-mouth disease in the UK - Classical swine fever in Spain, 16 January 2002 (15KB)
• Classical swine fever in Spain - Foot-and-mouth disease in the UK, 9 January 2002 (69KB)
• Foot-and-mouth disease in the UK - Classical swine fever in Spain, 19 December 2001 (12KB)
• Questions and answers on Classical Swine Fever, 5 December 2001
• New case of Classical Swine Fever in Spain: Commission adopts export restrictions, 5 December 2001
• Poland can export fresh pig meat to the EU, 22 November 2001 (6KB)
• End of classical swine fever restrictions in Spain, 15 November 2001
• Results of the Standing Veterinary Committee, 9 October 2001
• Classical swine fever in Spain: Further reduction of the restricted areas, 11 September 2001
• Classical swine fever in Spain: reduction of the restricted areas, 10 August 2001
• Results of the Standing Veterinary Committee, 11 July 2001
• Classical Swine Fever in Spain: Results of SVC, 22 June 2001
• Major improvement of welfare of pigs agreed - Classical swine fever directive updated: Feeding catering waste prohibited, 19 June 2001
• Classical Swine Fever in Spain - Commission adopts export restrictions, 14 June 2001
• Swine fever in the UK : Some restrictions lifted, 5 September 2000
• Classical Swine Fever in the UK, 4 September 2000

African Swine Fever

• Byrne welcomes adoption of African Swine Fever Directive, 27 June 2002
• African Swine Fever - European Commission proposes to harmonize control measures, 1 February 2002 (13KB)

Bluetongue

• Restrictions lifted in Bulgaria and re-imposed in The Balearic Islands, 6 November 2003 (72KB)
• The Balearic Islands declared free of bluetongue, 10 January 2003 (64KB)
• Import ban of ruminants from south-east Europe due to bluetongue, 28 September 2001

Equine Viral Arteritis

• Commission clears the way for temporary admission of horses participating in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Athens, 20 February 2004(69KB)
• Commission clears the way for temporary admission of horses participating in the Equestrian Pre-Olympic Test Events in Greece, 10 January 2003(65KB)
• Commission clears the way for temporary admission of horses participating in World Equestrian Games, 1 August 2002 (64KB)

Newcastle Disease

• Newcastle disease in the USA: export restrictions limited to three States, 29 January 2003 (65KB)

Import Conditions

• EU reduces the 100% testing requirement for imports of poultry meat from Brazil to 20%, 29 January 2004 (76KB)
• Commission acts to prevent introducing exotic parasites affecting honey bees into the EU, 5 August 2003 (79KB)
• Monkey Pox virus: Commission bans the import prairie dogs and rodents that could carry the disease, 16 June 2003 (63KB)
• 100% testing requirement for imports of shrimps from Thailand lifted, 23 January 2003 (61KB)
• Stopping animal disease at the border: tighter rules on personal imports of meat and milk into the EU, 19 December 2002
• Tighter rules on personal imports of meat and milk into the EU, 20 September 2002

 Animal Welfare

• 100% testing requirement for imports of shrimps from Thailand lifted, 23 January 2003 (61KB)

Other animal diseases

• Commission acts to prevent introducing exotic parasites affecting honey bees into the EU, 5 August 2003 (79KB)

Animal Welfare on the Farm

• Commission takes four Member States to Court over protection of laying hens, 14 July 2003
• Commission acts against five Member States to protect laying hens, 13 January 2003
• The Commission adopts further standards for the welfare of pigs, 9 November 2001
• Major improvement of welfare of pigs agreed, 19 June 2001
• Commission proposes improvements in welfare conditions of pigs, 16 January 2001
• David Byrne announces improvements in welfare conditions of pigs, 19 September 2000

Animal Welfare during Transport - Ongoing Initiatives

• Commission proposes signing the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Animals during International Transport, 30 October 2003
• Commission proposes radical overhaul of animal transport rules, 16 July 2003
• Scientific Committee adopted opinion on animal welfare during transport, 20 March 2002
• Welfare of animals during transport - Council approves mandate for negotiating international rules, 23 October 2001
• Animal transport: Commission adopts proposal to improve conditions for the long distance transportation of animals, 9 April 2001
• Animal Transport: Commission steps up action to remedy shortcomings in application of EU rules, 19 December 2000
• EC Animal Transport Rules to be applied in Slovenia, 16 October 2000

International Animal Welfare

• OIE to hold Global Conference on Animal Welfare in Paris, 23-25 February 2004 (91KB)
• The European Commission supports OIE global conference on animal welfare, 16 June 2003