In the Chamber's health committee, the bill by Benoit Piedboeuf, Julie Taton and Daniel Bacquelaine on the vaccination strategy against bluetongue and EHD was adopted.
Last week, an exceptional budget of €40 million was already released to support livestock farmers in their fight against bluetongue. “Today we are concretely adopting the implementation arrangements that confirm both the compulsory vaccination and the granting of a subsidy for the vaccines administered. We must not forget that without vaccination, the losses are far greater! That can amount to up to €3,500 for a head of cattle and €200 for a sheep, not to mention the incalculable losses resulting from the lack of offspring,” say MR MPs Benoit Piedboeuf, Julie Taton and Daniel Bacquelaine.
“We have been mobilised for many weeks to support our agricultural sector, and we are pleased to have swiftly provided firm and concrete support for the funding of this essential vaccination. It should be noted that the discussions in committee were conducted with perfect propriety and in a spirit of harmony, enabling us to reach a swift outcome,” adds Benoit Piedboeuf.
For Agriculture Minister David Clarinval: “Vaccination is the only genuinely effective protection against vector-borne diseases. It is therefore the only means of preventing an economic catastrophe for an essential sector of our country. Our farmers are going through difficult times, and we cannot leave them alone to face these challenges. The vaccination requirement, combined with the budget I have released to cover the cost of this vaccination, represents a concrete response to protect their work and safeguard our herds. With the support of the MR group in Parliament and through my action as Minister, we are working together to ensure the sustainability of our agriculture and limit the economic impact.”
In concrete terms, the vaccination campaign targets:
- serotype 3 of the bluetongue virus (BTV3);
- serotype 8 of the bluetongue virus (BTV8);
- the epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) virus.
All cattle born before 31 December 2024 are subject to compulsory vaccination against BTV3, BTV8 and EHD by 1 June 2025 at the latest, with the exception, for example, of fattening calves. All sheep born before 31 December 2024 are subject to compulsory vaccination against BTV3 and BTV8 by 1 June 2025 at the latest. Vaccination is strongly recommended for animals born after 31 December 2024, provided the vaccine manufacturer's instructions allow it. The measures set out in this law apply exclusively to the year 2025.
The bill was adopted in committee this Tuesday, 17 December, and will be put to a vote this Thursday in the Chamber's plenary session.