Animal diseases

The EU supports the research of epidemiology of several internationally important diseases, including bluetongue, foot-and-mouth disease, and scrapie. (Photo: www.iah.ac.uk)
The EU has a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which includes rules for animal welfare and diseases. In 2002 the EU Parliament set up a temporary committee to analyse the Foot-and-mouth disease crisis of 2001.
Veterinary zones to protect against the spread of diseases can not be set up by the Member States on their own but require common decisions supported by a qualified majority.