Foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, lumpy skin disease, peste des petits ruminants and others continue to threaten livestock production across Europe. Preventing and containing these devastating transboundary animal diseases depends heavily on effective biosecurity – and on vets who help farmers put preventive measures into practice.
A key role for veterinarians
Recognising this crucial role, the EU Animal Health Law identifies veterinarians as key actors in disease prevention and preparedness, notably through animal health visits provided for under Article 25. At its recent general assembly in Rovaniemi, FVE unanimously adopted a new position paper on biosecurity, reaffirming the profession’s commitment to strengthening prevention at farm level.
The paper calls for veterinarians to be fully empowered as farm biosecurity experts, working alongside farmers to develop practical, farm-specific solutions. To achieve this, FVE advocates for supportive policies and effective implementation measures that enable veterinarians to provide tailored advice and preventive health planning.
Making animal health visits work
A central recommendation is the harmonised and systematic implementation of animal health visits across all EU Member States. Previous surveys have revealed significant differences in how Article 25 is applied, resulting in uneven levels of preventive support.
‘To date, no implementing act lays down the minimum requirements for the uniform application of Article 25,’ notes FVE Executive director Nancy De Briyne. ‘Without such supporting measures, there is a real risk that the provision will be applied inconsistently or insufficiently across Member States.’
The position paper also highlights the need for stronger veterinary education and continuing professional development in preventive medicine and biosecurity, as well as improved access to evidence-based assessment tools and farm data systems.
From compensation to preparedness
UEVP President Volker Moser stresses the importance of shifting the focus from crisis management to prevention. ‘Governments should financially support preventive measures and link funding to documented biosecurity compliance, rather than providing compensation only after disease outbreaks,’ he says. ‘It is also time to recognise that biosecurity is a shared responsibility of all actors, including small-scale operators, regardless of their commercial nature.’
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