January 18, 2016

The EU has committed close to €161 million (US$175.4 million) to support eradication, control and surveillance programmes that aim to eliminate animal diseases and zoonoses (diseases or infections that are naturally transmissible directly or indirectly between animals and humans), as well as further strengthen the protection of human and animal health.

The European Commission said the budget allocation reflects EU's recognition of the serious impact that animal disease outbreaks can have not only on human health but also on the economy and trade.

The EC added that the allocation of EU co-financing will continue to help national authorities in putting in place precautionary measures, disease surveillance and eradication programmes at national and European levels.

Overall, 130 programmes have been selected for EU funding under Regulation 652/2014 on the management of the expenditure in the food safety area.

About €62 million has been allocated for the surveillance and eradication of bovine tuberculosis, about €12 million of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, €26 million of rabies, about €17 million of salmonellosis, about €10 million of bovine brucellosis, €2,500 million of classical swine fever and €2 million of avian influenza.

Compared with 2015, an increased amount of €7 million was allocated in 2016 for the eradication and control of African swine fever, mainly in the four member states where the disease has occurred since 2013.

EU co-financing has resulted in continuous improvement of animal health and also a decrease in the number of human cases of various zoonotic diseases, such as Salmonellosis, according to the EC.