EU Monitoring of Livestock Imports Amid Foot-and-Mouth Disease Concerns

Strategic Insights -

As the European Union's (EU) livestock farming industry grapples with the ongoing presence of foot-and-mouth disease in certain member states and neighboring countries, the Commission's monitoring and enforcement of imports and veterinary measures have come under scrutiny. Specifically, Greece's Ministry of Rural Development and Food authorized imports of live sheep from Slovakia and Hungary, despite active disease cases in these countries. The move has sparked concerns among farmers and policymakers, who are urging stricter measures to ensure the health security of European livestock.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food authorized imports of live sheep from Slovakia and Hungary, despite active cases of foot-and-mouth disease in these countries.
  • The EU Commission recommended avoiding imports from the affected regions and imposing a mandatory 21-day quarantine on imported animals, but it is unclear whether these measures were effectively implemented.
  • The EU Commission is responsible for monitoring compliance with EU rules on animal health and welfare, but it relies on member states to report on their enforcement efforts.
  • Countries such as Australia, the US, and England have imposed stricter bans on animal and animal product imports from Slovakia and Hungary to protect their domestic livestock industries.
  • The EU's Veterinary Medicinal Products temporary restrictive market surveillance measures include import bans, strict veterinary checks, and surveillance.

Statistics:

  • 21 days: the recommended quarantine period for imported sheep from Slovakia and Hungary.
  • 44% of animal product imports in the EU come from third countries (Source: European Commission, 2022).
  • The EU has reported 164 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the past 10 years, with 109 of these occurring in the past 5 years (Source: European Food Safety Authority, 2023).
  • The Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food reported importing 15,000 live sheep from Slovakia and Hungary during the Easter period (april 2025) (Source: Greek Government Gazette, 19 April 2025).

Sources:

  • European Parliament Question for written answer E-001823/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Galato Alexandraki (ECR), Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR)
  • European Food Safety Authority (2023). Foot-and-mouth disease: Monitoring and surveillance.
  • European Commission (2022). Veterinary Medicinal Products temporary restrictive market surveillance measures.
  • Greek Government Gazette (19 April 2025). Ministry of Rural Development and Food: Import of live sheep from Slovakia and Hungary.