Animal Health and Animal Welfare

EFSA Stakeholder Consultative Platform meeting, 24-25 April 2008

On 24 and 25 April, the European Food Safety Agency organised the 7th meeting of the EFSA Stakeholder Consultative Platform in Parma which EPHA attended.
The meeting was opened by the EFSA Director, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, who provided the stakeholders with an overview of the progress on EFSA activities. After this intervention, Ritta Maijala, explained EFSA’s task as a risk assessor.
After the two general interventions, the Stakeholders had the opportunity to hear about EFSA’s (...)

EPHA Briefing note on the International Health Regulations

In our increasingly interconnected world international travel is more common for more people and over longer distances, leading to greater concerns over the threats posed by infectious disease outbreaks.
There has long been recognition of the need to put in-place a systematic approach for authorities to respond to such in the form of agreements on international cooperation on infectious diseases.
These agreements have evolved from being rather straightforward and covering a limited number (...)

Briefing note on Influenza

A flu pandemic is the world’s worst nightmare.
Influenza is the infectious disease which could cause a global health emergency with the potential of economic collapse and public unrest.
Pandemics are a fact in human history. In the last century there were three major flu pandemics. Most famously the Spanish flu of 1918-19 killed up to 40 million people, more than the devastating first world war. The South East Asia flu pandemic of 1957 resulted in an estimated 2 million dead and 1968 saw (...)

GMOs dominate Q&A with Commissioner Byrne

Nutritional health claims & the consumer credit proposal
On 2 October, Commissioner Byrne answered questions from Environment and Health Committeee regarding the above.
Most of the questions revealed deep concerns by committee members about the findings of a British survey which showed the damaging impact on bio-diversity and wildlife by GM crop trials.
Commissioner Byrne was reluctant to be drawn too deeply on the matter and said that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the (...)

Green Week 2006: Changing our Behaviour to Preserve Biodiversity

The European Commission 2006 Green Week, which ran from 30 May to 2 June 2006 focuses on changing people’s behaviour with regard to the preservation of biodiversity.
The Greek Week 2006 Conference Programme looks at key aspects of EU biodiversity policy and potential approaches for strengthening cooperation with stakeholders to ensure the 2010 target is reached. The programme is structured around four main strands:
Biodiversity as a global issue;
The management of natural resources; (...)

Codex Alimentarius to approve codes on animal feeding and foods for children

The 27th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission takes place in Geneva from 28 June to 3 July 2004. The Codex is a joint initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), aiming at setting food standards, guidelines and codes of practice.
In particular, the 27th session of the Codex Commission is urged to formally approve a Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding establishing a feed safety system for food producing (...)

Portuguese Presidency organises conferences on migrants and health and social services

Health and Migration in the EU - better health for all in an inclusive society
A major initiative of the Portuguese Presidency in the field of health, has been the conference "Health and Migration in the EU - better health for all in an inclusive society", held in Lisbon on 27 and 28 September.
The conference aimed at mobilizing Member States, national and international organizations, and some NGOs, to discuss proposals for interventions that would promote health, prevent disease, and (...)

EU legislation to cut down food borne diseases

On 29 September, the Agriculture Council adopted the two laws proposed by the Commission in Agust 2001 and backed by Parliament in May 2002 on protective measures against "zoonoses" (diseases transmissible between animals and humans).
Zoonoses include diseases like salmonella, campylobacter, listeria and toxin producing E. coli.
The legislation will enter into force on its day of publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Commission press release.
Conclusions of the (...)

EU compensates precautionary measures on FMD by some Member States

The European Commission has adopted four Decisions fixing the EU financial contribution for the costs of precautionary measures taken by four Member States to avoid the introduction and spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on their territory during the epidemic of 2001.
These cover the costs for the slaughter and destruction of animals and for the destruction of milk and feedingstuffs and the costs for cleaning and desinfecting holdings.
The indicative EU contribution (60% of total (...)

EP Recommendation on Stock-farming and Damaging Substances

Karl Erik OLSSON (ELDR, S) will be putting forward a draft legislative resolution on prohibition of substances with hormonal or thyrostatic action and beta-agonists in stock-farming.
MEPs in the committee argue that the precautionary principle should be applied to safeguard consumers’ health in view of the perceived danger posed by this substance, which may be carcinogenic.
However, they say that exceptions could be made for the treatment of non-farm animals, i.e. animals not used for (...)

Parliament Votes against Cosmetic Tests on Animals

The European Parliament in Strasbourg approved a new law on 15 January to ban the sale of virtually all animal-tested cosmetic products in the European Union from 2009. Following ten years of delicate negotiations and strong lobbying from the cosmetics industry, animal testing, currently only forbidden in the UK, Belgium, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, will be outlawed in all fifteen member states. The new legislation will also close a loophole which allows the sale of beauty and (...)

**UPDATED** EFSA’s consultation and opinion on animal cloning

EFSA has published draft opinion on the implications of animal cloning on food safety, animal health and welfare and the environment.
This article has been updated with news concerning the European Parliament motion for resolution on the cloning of animals for food supply and with news on the delay of EFSA’s final opinion
EFSA’s public consultation on animal cloning
EFSA has held a public consultation on its draft scientific opinion on the implications of animal cloning on food safety, (...)

MEPs call for stronger sanctions on food safety

MEPs are calling for closer monitoring and criminal sanctions on safety, labelling and inspection of animal feed products.
On 9 March 2004, the Environment Committee will give a 1st reading to a report by MEP Marit PAULSEN (ELDR, S) on the draft Regulation on official feed and food controls.
After a number of food scares such as BSE and salmonella, the EU has prioritised safety of the food chain. This new draft regulation would bring together several existing pieces of legislation covering (...)

Concerns raised about chemicals in farmed fish

Scientists are warning that salmon from European fish farms is so contaminated by cancer-causing chemicals that, in the worst cases, it should not be eaten more than three times a year. The research, published in the US magazine Science, was co-authored by David Carpenter, director of the University of Albany’s Institute for Health and the Environment.
American and Canadian researchers took samples from 700 wild and farmed salmon purchased from shops in North and South America and Europe. (...)

New EU legislation to control FMD outbreaks

New legislation on EU measures to control outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was adopted by the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 29 September.
The Directive sets out detailed measures to rapidly control and eradicate the disease and outlines procedures on recovering the status "free of FMD and infection without vaccination", which is of crucial importance for trade.
David Byrne, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, welcomed Council’s adoption of the Directive. (...)

Two people die from vCJD in Spain

Two people have died in Spain after contracting the human form of "mad cow disease", variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) that is is thought to be transmitted in infected meat and bone. Since 2000, more than 800 Spanish have suffered from different types of vCJD.
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) was first found in humans in 1995 and is thought to be transmitted in infected meat and bone. Since 2000, more than 800 Spanish have suffered from different types of vCJD but the only (...)

An international informal debate on ethics and science

Members of national forums and the European Group in Ethics (EGE) met last February during the 11th Forum of National Ethics Council (NEC) at Brdo, Slovenia. The Forum was organized by the European Commission and the Slovenian National Medical Ethics committee, and provided for an international informal debate in the field of ethics and science.
The leading theme of the NEC Forum-> was the Freedoms and Rights of the individuals in competition with the interests of the society. The meeting (...)

**Avian Influenza - Update January 2008**

**Latest Update 21/01/2008.** It aims to focus on developments at international level.
Animal Avian Influenza is now in Europe - Increase of HUMAN cases in Indonesia
Poultry in Turkey and Romania have been hit by cases of Avian Influenza. Croatia also confirms a case of H5N1 in wild birds. Hence the decision from the European Commission to suspend imports of birds, feathers, poultry meat and avian species from Romania and Turkey. Both countries have quarantined the affected zones and (...)

Avian Flu: destroying myths

The following information is meant to complement EPHA’s FAQ on Pandemic Influenza and answers some myths about animal/human pandemic Influenza, effects of vaccines and antivirals.
Bird Flu outbreaks or pandemic flu?
Avian Influenza affect primarily birds and not humans Avian Influenza refers to a group of viruses which affect bird species. Rarely, one of these viruses affect human beings. The current H5N1 is also known as the “Avian plague”, having led to cullling of billions (...)

Library of links on Influenza

You will find below a list of links to different materials on influenza compiled by the EPHA Secretariat.
The World Health Organisation
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a whole range of materials on Influenza. The frame below intends to give links to some of the latest available documents.
; INFLUENZA PANDEMIC ; AVIAN INFLUENZA ; Global Influenza Programme ; Avian Influenza portal ; Pandemic Influenza FAQ ; Avian Influenza FAQ ; Global Influenza Preparedness Plan ; (...)

Avian Influenza monthly update - August 2005

Despite strong efforts to control the current epidemic of Avian Flu in South Asian countries, the H5N1 strain has increased its geographical range. It is getting closer to Europe, while various governments begin to consider the threat seriously.
Cases of infected chickens closer to Europe - Stabilisation of human cases
At the beginning of August, experts from the OIE (the World Organisation for Animal Health...) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) have (...)

Coordinating response to Influenza pandemic at EU level

*This article has been updated with details of the European Parliament activities.*
Given the current Avian Flu emergency in South Asia, the European Commission has taken two measures to address a potential Influenza pandemic at EU level: reviewing the Directive on Avian Influenza and designing a comprehensive integrated zoonoses strategy.
According to experts, the H5N1 strain that devastates South Asian poultries has the potential to spark off the next pandemic, to which humans have no (...)

Plans to reduce the impact of the next influenza pandemic

An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in several, simultaneous epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness.
Many experts are presenting evidence that supports that the world is now closer to a flu pandemic than it has been at any time since 1968.
Even if the cause of the next pandemic and the potential magnitude are still uncertain, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated (...)

Avian flu represents a real pandemic threat

** Latest update: 22/07/2005.**
Many experts say that the world is now closer to a flu pandemic than it has been at any time since 1968. The key pre-requisites for a flu pandemic are: a novel virus of animal origin which jumps the species barrier and is able to replicate in the human body and be easily transmitted from human-to-human.
The current avian flu virus, H5N1 fails just the final test.
Avian Flu human cases
In September 2004, a possible human-to-human transmission of the Avian (...)

Animal link to human health

The link between animal viruses and human health is under the spotlight. Diseases like SARS, HIV and Avian flu probably originated in animals and evolved to humans. A new flu pandemic, which many experts believe is inevitable, combined with an animal virus could have a devastating impact across the world.
Scientific experts at a British Royal Society conference in London in January 2004 said there was a growing risk that more viruses will jump the species barrier and infect humans. (...)

Pet passport regulation approved

The so-called "pet passport" Regulation on health requirements of non-commercial movement of animals will enter into force on 3 July 2004.
This Regulation aims to facilitate the free movement of pet animals and harmonise animal-health measures and controls, guaranteeing a high level of protection for human and animal health.
It applies to pets such as: dogs, cats, ferrets, invertebrates (except bees and crustaceans), ornamental tropical fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds (except poultry), (...)

Pharmaceuticals review - Parliamentary vote - November 2003

MEPS vote against advertising but ask for clarity on the provision of information
In early November 2003 the Parliament’s Environment Committee began to discuss its response to the review of the Pharmaceutical’s legislation.
There are three proposals under consideration:
Regulation 2309/3 concerns the provision of a legislative framework for medicinal products.
2 Directives: 2001/83 on human medicine, and 2001/82 concerning vetinary medicines
The Committee retabled amendments rejected (...)