Parish calls for "independent body" on animal health as TB is diagnosed in the Netherlands
Posted, July 15, 2008 @ 16:00
Neil Parish, Conservative MEP and Chairman of the European Parliament Agriculture Committee, today called for an "independent body" to be set up to make animal health decisions. His call was made as he delivered a letter from British farming organisations to the European Health Commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou, urging the EU Bovine TB Eradication Task Force to visit the UK. This coincided with the news that TB had been found in the Netherlands from cows exported from the UK.
The letter, from several farming organisations claimed that the UK was in breach of European rules by not drawing up an Eradication program for TB. It also requested the visit from the EU Bovine TB Eradication Task Force. Last week the government decided not to carry out a cull of infected badgers and the news that British TB has been exported to the Netherlands is likely to increase the pressure from the EU on the government to take action to eradicate the disease. Mr Parish believes that an independent body could make decisions on Animal Health Policy in a similar way to which the Bank of England makes decisions on interest rates.
Mr Parish said:-
"I accept that this is a difficult decision for any government to take so it should be taken out of their hands. It's time to have an independent body of scientists and veterinarians to take decisions which are obviously too unpalatable for the present government to take.
"Otherwise the government should face up to its responsibilities and develop a policy to eradicate TB. At the moment they claim to be controlling it but there is no control. We are slaughtering 30,000 cattle a year and yet many infected badgers are still passing the disease on. At some stage we will achieve a vaccine for badgers but even this will require a cull of infected badgers before we can start vaccination. In the meantime infected badgers face a slow and agonising death.
"Farming families in the West Country are absolutely desperate. Many face huge restrictions, including not being able to sell their livestock, their incomes have been dramatically affected and many are at their wits end. I don't want government inaction to force them into trying to solve the problem themselves."
Details:
1) The letter was signed by the following farming organisations: - The Livestock Auctioneers Association, the National Farmers Union, the National Beef Association, the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, the Tenant Farmers Association, the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers and the Country Landowners Association. A copy of the letter is available on request from Dan Dalton on 003222847392
ENDS
Neil Parish MEP on +44 (0) 7788443231 or
Dan Dalton on + 32 (0) 479776023
neil.parish@europarl.europa.eu
Conservative Press Office -
Gareth Goldsmith - tel: +32 (0) 476 668 050
gareth.goldsmith@europarl.europa.eu
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