Successful disease control: Germany regains FMD-free status
The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) has reinstated the "foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-free without vaccination" status for the vast majority of Germany, effective March 12, 2025. This was based on a request from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) to establish a so-called "containment zone", which the WOAH has now approved. The only exception to this status is the area of the "containment zone", for which the suspension of FMD-free status and the implementation of certain FMD control measures will continue until at least April 11, 2025.
Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, commented : "According to the World Organization for Animal Health, almost all of Germany is now FMD-free again; we now have this in black and white. The regained freedom sends a clear signal to our trading partners. The official confirmation from the World Organization for Animal Health is a crucial basis for our discussions with third countries and benefits exports. I am confident that our trade relations for the affected agricultural products around the world will quickly normalize and that our companies will soon be able to supply their usual markets again.
Confirmation by theWOAH is a major success and good news for our agricultural and food industry and for many, many livestock farms in this country. We achieved this in record time, together, and because everyone at the local, state, and federal levels joined forces to fight the epidemic. We owe this breakthrough to the excellent collaborative work and extraordinary commitment of all employees in the states of Brandenburg and Berlin, our federal Friedrich Loeffler Institute, and my ministry. Their extraordinary commitment to combating the epidemic deserves the highest recognition – my personal thanks go to them all.
The FMD outbreak is still limited to one farm in the containment zone. This area should also regain FMD-free status as quickly as possible. Therefore, we are acting proactively and preparing the necessary application for the WOAH already now".
The recognition of the "Containment Zone" by the WOAH and thus the rapid reinstatement of the WOAH freedom status was made possible by the preparation of a comprehensive dossier by the BMEL. This was preceded by two weeks of extensive cooperation with the affected federal states of Brandenburg and Berlin together with the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) and one from the EU. At the same time, preparations are already being made for the Containment Zone to apply for the regaining of FMD freedom from theWOAH at the earliest possible date.
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