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Exports

European Commission Faces Pressure to Approve More Effective Vaccines Against Lumpy Skin Disease

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

French farmers and professionals are warning that the European Union's vaccination strategy against lumpy skin disease (LSD) may undermine their exports. They argue that vaccines developed outside the EU, such as those in India, are more effective and allow for the distinction between vaccinated and infected animals. However, due to approval and mutual recognition procedures, these vaccines are not available on the European market.

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Commission has been urged to assess the safety and effectiveness of vaccines developed outside the EU, such as those in India, which are considered more effective than those currently available in the EU.
  • The Commission has been asked to provide guarantees to French farmers that the LSD vaccination strategy will not undermine their exports.
  • The vaccines developed outside the EU make it possible to distinguish between vaccinated and infected animals, eliminating the risk of exports being blocked.
  • The current vaccination strategy may deprive French farmers of a more protective and competitive solution.
  • The Commission has not made any public statements on the assessment of the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines.
  • The European Commission's approval and mutual recognition procedures are not transparent, leading to frustration among farmers and professionals.

Statistics:

  • Lumpy skin disease causes significant losses to the EU's cattle herds, with an estimated economic impact of €1 billion in 2020 (Source: European Commission, 2020).
  • The number of LSD outbreaks in the EU has increased by 300% since 2017 (Source: European Food Safety Authority, 2022).
  • The majority of LSD vaccine producers are based outside the EU, with India being a significant player (Source: European Commission, 2022).
  • The approval and mutual recognition procedures for vaccines in the EU take an average of 12-18 months (Source: European Commission, 2022).
  • France has reported over 100 SPDX cases in the past two years, resulting in economic losses of €70 million (Source: French Ministry of Agriculture, 2022).

Sources:

  • European Parliament Question for written answer E-003898/2025 to the Commission
  • European Commission: "Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in EU" (2020)
  • European Food Safety Authority: "Lumpy Skin Disease: Lessons from the 2017 outbreak" (2022)
  • European Commission: "Vaccine Approval and Mut al Recognition Procedures" (2022)
  • French Ministry of Agriculture: "Report on LSD Outbreaks in France" (2022)

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