The European Commission has released the results of its evaluation of the EU Animal Health Law, which serves as the foundation of the European Union's modern framework for preventing and controlling animal diseases.
According to the report, the legislation has proven highly effective over the past decade in preventing the spread of animal diseases and reducing their impact on agriculture, public health, international trade, and the economy.
The Commission emphasizes that animal diseases can have severe consequences for farmers and rural communities while also posing risks to food security and international trade. The Animal Health Law has therefore established a harmonised, risk-based framework for disease prevention and control across all EU Member States, enabling more effective management of animal health risks.
The evaluation also highlights that maintaining high animal health standards is one of the key factors supporting the European Union's position as the world's largest exporter of agri-food products.
At the same time, the Commission identified several areas where the current framework could be further strengthened. These include ensuring more consistent implementation of the legislation across Member States, improving the disease categorisation system to better address new and emerging threats, and expanding the use of vaccination as a preventive disease control tool.
The Commission also stresses that the current animal health framework is based on the latest scientific evidence and is continuously updated as new scientific knowledge becomes available and the epidemiological situation evolves.
According to experts, the evaluation confirms the effectiveness of the EU's risk-based approach to animal health management while setting priorities for the future development of European veterinary policy in response to the growing threat of transboundary animal diseases.
PigUA.info, based on 3tres3.com