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Food Safety

Funding of Animal Health Measures

Each year, the EU provides financial support to eradicate, control and prevent various animal diseases.

A report from the commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the outcome of the EU co-financed programmes for the eradication, control and monitoring of animal diseases and zoonosis over the period of 2005-2011 shows that, in most cases, the progression of eradication of the diseases targeted is evidenced by the continuous expansion in disease free zones in the EU.

Continuing with this approach, the Union will maintain the co-financing of the necessary measures to reduce, the number of outbreaks of animal diseases and zoonoses, which pose a risk to human and animal health, as well as to prevent the occurrence of such outbreaks.

In order to achieve these objectives, specific measures are co-funded through:

Specific objectives, according to Regulation (EU) No 652/2014:

  • to contribute to a high level of safety of food and food production systems and of other products which may affect the safety of food, while improving the sustainability of food production
  • to contribute to achieving a higher animal health status for the Union and to support the improvement of the welfare of animals

In order to measure the attainment of the specific objectives, the following indicators shall be used:

  • for the specific objective (1), a reduction in the number of cases of diseases in humans in the Union which are linked to food safety or zoonoses;
  • for the specific objective (2):
    • an increase in the number of EU countries or their regions which are free from animal diseases in respect of which a financial contribution is granted;
    • an overall reduction of disease parameters such as incidence, prevalence and number of outbreaks

Regulation (EU) No 652/2014, covering the whole food chain, with a budget of almost €1.9 billion covering the period 2014-2020, funds priorities in the area of food and feed. 65% of the overall budget is allocated to implement animal health measures.

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