Hungary urges EU-wide vaccination program due to spread of animal diseases

István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture (Photo: AM)

István Nagy, at a press conference following the meeting of the EU member states’ agriculture ministers, drew attention to the fact that several viruses affecting farm animals have appeared in Hungary and other EU member states, which cause significant damage to agriculture and animal husbandry. According to him, the Hungarian proposal aims to initiate a change of perspective in EU-level animal health practice: as part of the initiative – which was strongly supported by 24 member states – Hungary called on the EU to examine the possibility of vaccination with scientific rigor and to develop a unified defense strategy against diseases that cause serious economic losses. In his opinion, the introduction of the vaccination program could contribute to curbing the current wave of infections and, in the long term, would help restore the vaccine-free status of livestock.

István Nagy also said that he drew attention to the fact that the recent frost damage had severely affected Hungarian fruit production

More than 17 thousand hectares of plantations have been reported to have suffered significant damage, which is putting the affected producers in serious existential danger. “In order to address the situation, Hungary has requested the opening of the European Union’s reserve fund so that it can provide targeted support and compensation to the affected farmers from this source,” he said. The Minister of Agriculture also said that a particularly important item on the agenda of Monday’s meeting was the package of proposals for simplifying the common agricultural policy (CAP), which included several Hungarian proposals. The package of proposals aims, among other things, to amend the rules on greening, reduce the administrative burden on small farms, and make wider use of risk and crisis management tools – which, according to the minister, could contribute to farmers having easier access to their support sources. However, he highlighted that Hungary strongly objects to the General Affairs Council deciding on issues concerning the future of the CAP instead of the agricultural ministers of the member states, as the political responsibility lies with the agricultural ministries, therefore they should also retain the right to make decisions. He said that transferring decision-making would create a dangerous precedent, which could undermine the role of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in the long term, and thus the representation of the interests of European agriculture. He also reported that the future of the EU’s agriculture and food supply was once again on the agenda, with particular regard to the development of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027. According to István Nagy, the Council conclusion, which was unanimously adopted by all 27 agricultural ministers during the Hungarian EU presidency, provides a clear basis for this issue: the common agricultural policy should continue to have a separate budget in the future, which should rest on two pillars: one is the regular payment of area-based payments, and the other is the availability of investment and rural development support for all farmers. The Minister of Agriculture also warned that in the event of the extension of the EU-Ukraine free trade agreement at the beginning of June, border countries, including Hungary, will have to conclude a special agreement that protects the interests of farmers. In this context, he drew attention to the EU-Mercosur agreement, which is not yet in force: as he said, these agreements – especially in the case of border countries – may have cumulative negative effects. “We must insist that only products that are produced and marketed in accordance with the same rules as in the EU can enter the territory of the European Union,” the Minister of Agriculture underlined.

MTI