Green Light on BSE Testing Threshold

The European Commission has given Cyprus the green light to raise the age threshold for testing cattle for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) to 48 months.

Active BSE monitoring covers the testing of two categories of cattle, the first in animals over 24 months old, the second over 30 months old. However, EU member states which have shown an improvement in the mad cow disease situation can increase the mandatory testing age to 48 months.

Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said: "The regulation adopted today came after the Cypriot competent authorities were able to demonstrate the improvement of the BSE epidemiological situation on the island and the Commission to verify their findings. Cyprus now joins a group of Member States that have already been authorised to increase the testing age to up to 48 months."
 
Sixteen EU states have already been authorised to apply a revised annual BSE monitoring programme and test only animals up to 48 months old in both target groups. These are: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Austria, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.