Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) why her Department has not banned live importation of birds from poultry shows in other European Union countries; [38170]
(2) whether live birds may be imported from poultry shows in European Union countries; and what risk assessment she has undertaken of the potential importation of Avian influenza from these sources. [38171]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 20 December 2005]: Live birds may be brought into the United Kingdom from poultry shows within the EU as long as the correct import procedures are followed. Rules on importing poultry are available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde/animl-im/animl-im.htm
The movement of birds within the EU is controlled by Community rules, which do not require birds to be quarantined. However, the UK's Salmonella controls require all fowl species (for example chicken, ducks and turkeys) arriving in the UK from other member states to be isolated for at least 112 days after arrival.
Defra carries out qualitative veterinary risk assessments when officially notified of a disease outbreak in an EU-member state, a country on the border of the EU or one of the UK's trading partners worldwide. There are currently no cases of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza in EU member states. Based on veterinary risk assessments, we consider that the risk to birds in the UK is currently low.
If an EU member state experiences an outbreak of serious disease such as Avian influenza, existing EU trade rules set out the measures that must be adopted by that member state to prevent the spread of the disease. If the situation demands it, the European Commission will propose additional safeguard measures. It is not open to other member states to take unilateral action which goes beyond Community trade rules.
