EU urged to lead disease control

Mr Stevenson called for new animal movement curbs

A Scottish Conservative MEP has urged the European Union to impose centralised controls in an attempt to halt the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

Struan Stevenson, said "ridiculous" controls in the UK were not effective and called on stricter measures to be applied at national borders and airports.

He also called for an end to the transportation of slaughtered animals from farms where the disease had been detected and said the British government should do more to restrict "huge movements of population".

But his calls were given a lukewarm response from Irish EU Commissioner David Byrne who said the existing central controls were "impressive".

Struan Stevenson wants centralised EU controls

Speaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Stevenson said it was time for the EU to take charge of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

"The time has come when we must see some centralised control applied by Brussels," he said.

"There has to be a clear move to stamp out this disease and that means stopping the movement of slaughtered animals off the farms that have got foot-and-mouth disease.

Mr Stevenson said Mr Byrne, the health and consumer protection commissioner, and the agriculture commissioner Franz Fischler had been "appalled" to hear this.

He said it was now time to introduce "disinfectant baths at all points of entry and exit to all member states".

'Business as usual'

"It seems to me that everyone is doing their own thing," he said.

"In Ireland we had the minister of agriculture suggesting that people shouldn't even travel to church on Sundays.

"But here in Britain, apart from these areas that have been completely quarantined, it seems that it's business as usual."

Confirmed disease cases in Scotland

29 cases on 14 March

Lockerbie (7 cases)

Canonbie (6)

Gretna (8)

Twynholm

Langholm

Beattock

Ruthwell

Lochmaben

Tundergarth

Moffat

Dalton

The Conservative MEP for Scotland added that it was "ridiculous" that controls were only applied to quarantined areas while there was still "huge movements of population" to football and rugby matches and race meetings around the country.

But Mr Stevenson's call for greater EU controls was given a lukewarm response by Irish EU Commissioner David Byrne.

He said that the existing level of co-ordination was "impressive" and that ultimately it was up to member states to abide by the EU decisions taken so far.

Mr Byrne said: "What is important is the central implementation of the regulations on the ground.

"That's the responsibility of each member state."

'No blame game'

The commissioner said that the movement of slaughtered animals from infected farms in Britain was not in breach of any EU rule.

"The movement of animals or carcasses in closed containers is permissible," he said.

"These things can happen but they have to be done in accordance with the guidelines."

David Byrne: "Impressive controls"

Mr Byrne also dispelled any rumours that Britain was being held responsible for the current foot-and-mouth outbreak.

"We're not in the blame game. Nobody is pointing fingers," he said.

"These things could have happened in any member state."

The comments from Mr Stevenson and commissioner Byrne came on the day that the disease toll in Scotland reached 29.

The Scottish Executive confirmed three cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Gretna, Dalton and Lockerbie - all in Dumfries and Galloway.