Control measures
The legal framework is provided by Regulation (EU) 2016/429 ("Animal Health Law"). More information on this legal framework can be found here.
Special control measures for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) apply in the Union as laid down in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.
These measures are based on stamping-out of infected and in-contact herds, and on regional restrictions on the movement of susceptible animals and their products. To this end, the Union maintains one of the world's biggest antigen banks for express formulation of vaccines.
Member States are obliged to have contingency plans in operation and national reference laboratories must collaborate with the EU Reference Laboratory.
Support to Georgia
The EU is supporting Georgian efforts to prevent the spread of FMD SAT-2. More information on this page.
Support to Türkiye
The EU is supporting Turkish efforts to prevent the spread of FMD SAT-2 into Thrace. More information on this page.
EUFMD
The European Commission is an active partner of the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD).
Further information can be found on the website of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
Foot and mouth disease outbreak in Germany in 2025
On Friday 10 January 2025, Germany notified an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Brandenburg, involving three water buffaloes that died. The carcasses of the two animals that died first were sent to a rendering plant, while the third animal that died one day later tested positive for FMD. The concerned establishment kept 14 water buffaloes which were not intended for food production.
Already upon suspicion, Germany immediately implemented animal health control measures in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, including the culling of the remaining water buffaloes in the affected establishment and the establishment of a provisional restricted zone, consisting of a protection zone of minimum 3 km radius and a surveillance zone of minimum 10 km radius.
The results from the National reference laboratory and the EU reference laboratory for FMD indicate the virus is FMD serotype O, with closest sequence being from Türkiye in December 2024, and previously seen in other parts of the world such as Iran, India and Nepal.
On Monday 13 January 2025, the Commission adopted Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/87 concerning interim emergency measures, demarcating at EU level the areas to be included by Germany in the restricted zone around the outbreak establishment and setting the duration of this restricted zone.
The measures to be applied by Germany in these zones are in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 and include, amongst others: the killing on the spot and safe disposal as soon as possible of all animals of susceptible species kept in the affected establishment, the cleaning and disinfection of the premises, prohibitions of movements of susceptible animals and their products, and intensive surveillance in both the 3 and 10 km zones.
The emergency measures shall continuously be adapted, as necessary, to take account of the evolving epidemiological situation. A chronology of the main events and actions taken by the Commission has been prepared and is updated on a regular basis.
Foot and mouth disease outbreak in Bulgaria in 2011
On Wednesday, 5 January 2011 the Bulgarian authorities confirmed a case of foot and mouth disease in one of 3 wild boars shot on 30 December 2010 in the area of Makevtci, on the land of Kosti village, municipality of Malko Tarnovo, Burgas region, around 2 km from the border with Türkiye.
Bulgaria implemented the measures provided for in Council Directive 2003/85/EC on Community measures for the control of foot-and-mouth disease.
In the months January, March and April 2011, 11 cases were detected in domestic animals. A chronology was prepared and updated on a regular basis.
Foot and mouth disease outbreak in the UK in 2007
On Friday 3 August 2007 the UK authorities confirmed a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in a beef finishing farm near Guildford, in Surrey. Measures in line with Council Directive 2003/85/EC, were implemented by the UK authorities.
The Commission adopted Commission Decision 2007/552/EC concerning interim protection measures in relation to the FMD outbreak in the UK. In August and September 2007, 7 more cases of FMD were confirmed and measures were taken in accordance with EU legislation.
The concerned virus strain was FMD 01 BFS6, like the virus which was isolated in the 1967 Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Great Britain. It was found to be most similar to strains used in international diagnostic laboratories and in vaccine production, including at the Pirbright site shared by the Institute of Animal Health (IAH) and Merial Animal Health Ltd, a pharmaceutical company.
The final reports of the different investigations into the outbreak, and a UK Government statement in response, have been published and are available on the DEFRA website.
The 2001 Epidemic
- Main events and list of decisions adopted by the Commission
- The lessons from the crisis: International FMD Conference in Brussels 12-13 December 2001
Notification and Health Situation
Foot-and-mouth disease is a notifiable disease, according to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 of 7 December 2020 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to Union notification and Union reporting of listed diseases, to formats and procedures for submission and reporting of Union surveillance programmes and of eradication programmes and for application for recognition of disease-free status, and to the computerised information system.
Description of the disease
Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious, usually non-fatal viral disease of domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animals, but may also affect certain other species. It is widely distributed throughout the world.
Animals recovered from the disease may remain carriers of the infectious virus for an extended period of time.
FMD is not dangerous to humans but has a great potential for causing severe economic losses in susceptible animals.
Causative agent - FMD is caused by a non-enveloped Aphtovirus of the family Picornaviridae, existing in seven distinct serotypes of FMD virus, namely, O, A, C, SAT 1, SAT 2, SAT 3 and Asia 1, most of them with many more subtypes. Infection or vaccination with one serotype, or in some cases even a different sub-type of the same serotype, does not confer immunity against another.
Transmission - The virus is spread easily by animated and non-animated vectors, notably the incubating or clinically affected animal or its products, but may also spread airborne over substantial distances.
FMD, characterised by a vesicular condition of the feet, buccal mucosa and, in females, the mammary glands, cannot be differentiated clinically from other vesicular diseases.
Laboratory diagnosis, including isolation of the virus, detection of viral antigen or nucleic acid or of specific humoral antibody, of any suspected FMD case is therefore a matter of urgency.
Vaccination with the use of conventional vaccines protects from disease but does not prevent infection and consequently a carrier state. The Community adopted therefore in 1990 a policy prohibiting the prophylactic vaccination against FMD.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361 of 28 November 2022 as regards rules for the use of certain veterinary medicinal products for the purpose of prevention and control of certain listed diseases, lays down rules, among others, on the use of vaccines in animals for prevention and control of category A diseases, such as FMD. Specific conditions for emergency protective vaccination against FMD are laid down in Annex VII to that Regulation.
Prevention - In order to further reduce the risk of incursion of the virus from endemic areas, the EU strengthened the controls at external borders and engaged considerable financial resources to assist third countries in its neighbourhood to control and eradicate the disease.
FMD is an WOAH listed disease, according to the WOAH Classification of Diseases of major importance. This means it is a transmissible disease that has the potential for very serious and rapid spread, irrespective of national borders, that is of serious socio-economic or public health consequence and that it has major implications for the international trade in animals and animal products.