"The development of blue tongue epidemic both at national and international level in recent months has shown that the European community needs greater coordination and preparedness for a common timely response in the fight against this type of disease," announced Minister of Agriculture and Food Vassil Groudev during a meeting with experts from DG SANCO of the European Commission today at the ministry. He pointed out that with a view to the rapid development of the epizootic situation regionally and outside the country necessitates vaccination of all animal species to be undertaken in Bulgaria, as those intentions are based on the risk assessment carried out by the Risk Assessment Centre of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency.
Minister Groudev expressed confidence that a right expert decision for the vaccination will be found and the disease eradicated. He said he expects the conclusions of the meeting under the chairmanship of the adviser to the Minister Dr. Hinrich Meyer-Gerbaulet and the experts from the "Animal Health and Food Safety Directorate", "Livestock Breeding Directorate" and the Risk Assessment Centre of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency.