EU commissioner proposes new animal health law

The EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, has plans to launch a new Animal Health Law in 2011.

According to Dalli, this new animal health legislation should move from a position of financing losses of disease outbreaks to one of financing prevention.

''This future EU legislation requires a culture change to consider outlays for prevention programmes as an investment to save much heavier expenditure to combat disease outbreaks. We should also consider how the financing of such programmes is to be shared fairly between the principal players,'' Dalli said.

"I therefore intend to come forward with a legislative proposal on the review of spending in the veterinary field by early 2012. I hope that this proposal will be adopted in time for the post-2013 decision on agri-financial arrangements", he added.

Dalli explained the new law will simplify the current complex legal structure by replacing it with a streamlined framework.

Other fundamental issues of concern would be covered such as clarification of responsibilities of the main actors such as animal keepers and business operators; better disease prevention and on-farm biosecurity; and flexibility to adapt to new or changing circumstances.