The EU has committed close to 180 million (£139m) for 2015, to support veterinary programmes that aim to eliminate animal diseases and zoonoses including, for the first time, about £4.4m to cover “eradication and control programmes” for African swine fever (ASF).
“Given the serious impact that animal disease outbreaks can have on human health, society, the economy and trade, the allocation of EU co-financing will continue to assist national authorities to put in place precautionary measures, disease surveillance and eradication programmes, at national and European level,” said the European Commission (EC).
Overall, 139 programmes have been selected for EU funding: Bovine Tuberculosis (about 62m); Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (about 18m); Rabies (25m); Salmonellosis (about 19m); Bovine Brucellosis (about 10m); Classical Swine Fever (2m) and Avian Influenza (2.2m).
“Also for the first time, about 5.7m (£4.4m) has been allocated for the implementation of ASF eradication and control programmes due to the presence of the disease in some parts of the EU,” said the EC.