Animal Health: Brussels Allocates 161 Million to Combat Animal Diseases and Zoonoses

In 2016, the European Union will commit approximately 161 million euros to support eradication, control, and surveillance programs aimed at eradicating animal diseases and zoonoses, as well as strengthening the protection of human and animal health. This funding is intended to help Member State authorities implement the necessary precautionary, surveillance, and control measures.   Given the impact of animal diseases on global human health, as well as on the economy and trade, the EU’s funding will support disease control and eradication plans implemented at both the national and European levels. A total of 130 selected programs will receive European funds under Regulation 652/2014* on the management of expenditures related to food safety. The diseases covered include:

• bovine tuberculosis: approximately 62 million;
• transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs): approximately 12 million;
• rabies: 26 million;
• salmonellosis: approximately 17 million;
• bovine brucellosis: approximately 10 million;
• classical swine fever: 2.5 million;
• avian influenza: 2 million.
• African swine fever will receive an additional 7 million this year compared to 2015, primarily for eradication and control programs in the four Member States affected by the disease in 2013 (Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and Estonia).

  This European Union co-financing has already led to an overall improvement in animal health in Europe, as well as a decrease in the number of human cases of several zoonotic diseases such as salmonellosis (from 151,292 cases in 2007 to 80,677 cases in 2014). A similar decline has been observed for brucellosis and other zoonoses. Support for oral rabies vaccination programs for wild animals has also borne fruit, enabling the EU to achieve a level of rabies eradication never before seen worldwide. Consequently, the total number of rabies cases in wildlife in Europe has decreased significantly, from 814 in 2007 to just 216 in 2014, with very few cases reported in humans.   * EU regulation (EU) No. 652/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 15, 2014, laying down provisions for the management of expenditure relating, on the one hand, the food chain, animal health and welfare, and, on the other hand, plant health and propagating material.