BSE monitoring scheme for Europe


21 March 2000



BSE monitoring scheme for Europe

By FWi staff

THE European Commission is to bring forward plans for a BSE monitoring scheme which will cover all 15 countries of the European Union.

The scheme will be brought forward at the end of this month in line with a commitment by the commission made in a white paper on food safety.

David Byrne, the European Commissioner for health and consumer protection, said he was strongly committed to the introduction of BSE testing.

“I would therefore urge Member States to accept this proposal so that [the programme] can come into effect at the end of this year,” he said.

The testing scheme will be targeted at older cattle which die in abnormal circumstances in a bid to understand how the disease is spread.

Mr Byrne said he welcomed an Frances announcement to introduce its own national BSE testing programme for cattle.

Testing for BSE will be an important measure to identify the scale of the disease in Europe, he added.

Other member states could also consider the introduction of national testing programmes independently of the Commissions proposal, said Mr Byrne.

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