Select Committee on European Scrutiny Twelfth Report


1 Control of avian influenza


(26533)

8630/05

COM(05) 171

+ ADD 1

Draft Council Directive on Community measures for the control of Avian Influenza

Draft Council Decision amending Council Decision 90/424/EEC on expenditure in the veterinary field

Legal baseArticle 37EC; consultation; QMV
DepartmentEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs
Basis of considerationMinister's letter of 23 November 2005
Previous Committee ReportsHC 34-ii (2005-06), para 3 (13 July 2005) and HC 34-vi (2005-06), para 1 (19 October 2005)
To be discussed in CouncilDecember 2005
Committee's assessmentPolitically important
Committee's decisionFor debate in European Standing Committee A (decision reported on 19 October 2005)

Background

1.1 Avian influenza (AI) is a highly contagious disease of poultry and other birds caused by different types of Influenzaviridae virus, which may also spread to other animals and humans, usually following direct contact with infected birds. However, the risks depend upon the particular virus type, and those posed by the so-called Low Pathogenic AI (LPAI) viruses are less than those from Highly Pathogenic AI (HPAI) viruses, the latter having caused a mortality rate in poultry as high as 90%, and been responsible for the vast majority of AI cases reported in humans (and in all cases where death has occurred). Since these latter strains posing the greatest risk originate from the mutation of certain LPAI viruses (types H5 and H7), and the Community animal health measures currently in place apply only to HPAI, the Commission put forward this document in April 2005, proposing that they should be replaced by a new instrument, which would (among other things) extend them to include LPAI capable of mutating into HPAI viruses.

1.2 In our Report of 13 July 2005, we noted that the Commission had suggested that, although the human health risks are primarily dealt with under separate measures,[1] improved animal health controls would be of major importance in reducing these. However, although the UK supported the Commission's objectives, it had concerns that some detailed aspects of the proposal might be disproportionate to the risks involved. We therefore decided to reserve judgement until we had seen the Regulatory Impact Assessment which the Government had promised to provide, but we also said that we would be interested to know whether any review was being carried out of the adequacy of the human health measures cited by the Commission, and in particular what the Government's view was on this.

1.3 We subsequently considered the promised Regulatory Impact Assessment on 19 October 2005, in the light of which we recommended the proposal for debate in European Standing Committee A. However, in doing so, we also noted that the Minister had not said whether any review was being carried out of the adequacy of the Community's human health measures, and nor had he indicated what the Government's views on this were. We therefore said that we would like an answer to these points before the debate.

Minister's letter of 23 November 2005

1.4 The debate is due to take place on 30 November, and we have received a letter of 23 November 2005 from the Minister for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr Ben Bradshaw) setting out the views he has received from the Department of Health and the Health Protection Agency. They point out that:

    "The EC does not have the same level of competence on human health issues that it has over animal health. The EC is encouraging member states to prepare for pandemic flu and to be prepared for avian flu but this is very much through sharing of information, plans and know-how as well as offering diagnostic support where needed.

"The European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) is a newly established body and any review of its functions and work would be premature, and we in the Department of Health are not aware of any proposed review. The ECDC does not have control over the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS) and the Department of Health is not aware that it is proposed that it should.

"The EISS is undertaken through a network of surveillance centres all collaborating to an agreed set of protocols. This network brings in reports from GP surgeries across the EU about influenza consultations. It enables a picture to be built up rapidly about influenza activity across the flu season and for year on year comparison and will indicate when the season has peaked. Such networks exist for several diseases - e.g. there is one for gastrointestinal diseases and one for Legionnaires' disease - and they rely very much on the clinical specialists in each country reporting cases and setting up the surveillance participants in each country. This is an effective and relatively cheap way of sharing surveillance information quickly. The EISS is funded by the EC, but is not controlled by the EC. The UK is a full participant in this network.

"The Department of Health's view of the EISS is that it is very useful for the reason stated above and are not proposing to review it.

"A review of the member states' plans is being undertaken as a research project by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (funded by Roche) and they will report."

Conclusion

1.5 Whilst we are grateful to the Minister for this information, and are now reporting it to the House, it did not reach us in time for us to deal with it before the debate in European Standing Committee A. We have therefore suggested that his letter should be added to the documents available to the Standing Committee in connection with the debate.


1   For example, the establishment of the European Centre for Disease Control and the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme. Back


 
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Prepared 12 December 2005