EU warns against unilateral moves to fight bird flu
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-20 19:39

Europe's health chief warned EU governments on Tuesday not to strike out on their own in the battle against bird flu and undermine coordinated efforts to prevent the disease from moving westwards into the EU-25, the Associated Press reported.

"It's very important to have a fully coordinated response to various animal health threats," EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou told a news conference following a regular meeting of EU agriculture ministers.

"A fragmented response would not be as effective as a unified coordinated response," he said. "Based on the concerns of experts ... there is no need for extra measures besides increased surveillance of both domestic and wild birds."

In an apparent reference to last month's decision by the Netherlands to ban farmers from keeping poultry outdoors, Kyprianou said it would be better if EU governments did not take such measures without consulting Brussels first.

The Dutch measure was recently dismissed by EU veterinary experts and the European Commission as unnecessary. Three German states have issued similar orders.

Instead, the Commission -- the EU's executive arm -- has recommended that EU countries increase their surveillance of migratory birds, and places where wild and domestic birds may make contact with each other, such as ponds.

It has also issued guidelines for testing wild birds to guard against bird flu, and identified 15 species that may pose a higher risk of transmitting the virus.

"The veterinary field is a harmonised field. Member states should not take unilateral action without prior consultation because then this harmonisation is undermined," Kyprianou said.