Executive praised in Brussels FMD inquiry

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Originally from: Farmtalking

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Originally from The Scotsman –

http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/business.cfm?id=1280582002

THE first ever public investigation into last year’s foot-and-mouth outbreak will today deliver stinging criticism for the UK government, but praise for the Scottish Executive’s handling of the crisis.

A meeting of the European Parliament’s special inquiry into foot-and-mouth disease tonight will agree the final text of a report prepared by a German Socialist MEP, Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler.

The team of 30 cross party MEPs from around Europe are expected to conclude that "the British government’s information policy was inadequate" and that contingency plans for an FMD outbreak had "considerable shortcomings".

The report states that Westminster’s delay in implementing a ban on animal movements led to a dramatic increase in the number of cases and criticises "bureaucratic and formalistic procedures".

The inquiry has found that environmental legislation was breached by the mass burial pits and funeral pyres, which as a result "increased risks to human health and the environment from emissions and groundwater pollution".

By contrast, Scotland is singled out for its effective handling of the crisis. The report concludes that disease control measures were more successful north of the border because "lines of communication were shorter" and the contingency planning was more localised.

James Withers, National Farmers Union Scotland spokesman, said: "While the UK was blatantly unprepared for the outbreak, the Scottish Executive got to grips with it quickly because it took the necessary steps for Scotland."

He urged the Executive to continue to take the lead on contingency measures that would respond to Scotland’s own specific circumstances. The Executive has already produced a draft contingency plan and is currently consulting with farmers and industry representatives.

The NFUS believes the key to preventing future crises is to crack down on illegal meat imports entering the country.

Although welcoming a recent EU decision to ban the import of meat for personal consumption from countries outside the European Union, the NFU is calling for stricter measures to tackle an estimated one million tonnes of illegally imported meat every year.

As well as better import controls, the Brussels report makes further recommendations for future action such as the use of emergency vaccination as a first-choice option and increased animal disease surveillance systems.

The European Commission will be producing a White Paper on future measures to control foot-and-mouth disease by the end of this year.