The Commission welcomes the Member States decision to support its proposal to lift the prohibition on imports of fresh poultry meat from Thailand and prolonging certain protection measures for avian influenza from 1 July 2012. On the other hand, the Commission hosted on 2 of March a scientific seminar on the Schmallenberg virus (SBV).

The EU Member States supported the Commission's proposal to lift the restrictions on import of fresh poultry meat from Thailand from 1 July 2012. The outcome of the last mission made by Commission's experts in March 2011 showed that Thailand can provide sufficient guarantees to comply with the EU import requirements for poultry meat. Therefore, the Commission proposed to Member States to lift the prohibition of imports of poultry meat from Thailand. At a meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH), the Member States supported the draft proposal. In December 2011, the Commission also proposed measures for better coordination and response to cross-border health threats.

The HPAI H5N1 epidemic had started in South East Asia in mid 2003 and the virus spread in the following years to three continents including Europe, affecting overall more than 60 countries. The Commission had adopted protection measures in early 2004 to suspend imports into the EU of fresh poultry meat and other poultry products from Thailand following outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5N1 subtype (HPAI H5N1). In response to the original protection measures, Thailand implemented a rigorous policy to stamp-out the pathogen, including intensive surveillance and quick elimination of infected animals, and as a result successfully eradicated HPAI H5N1 from its territory.

Besides, over 120 experts and scientists from around the world met in Brussels on 2 of March to attend a scientific seminar on the Schmallenberg virus (SBV). The event was an opportunity for an exchange of views on the approach being taken by the EU to tackle this newly detected virus, and also an opportunity to share and discuss the most up-to-date information and science. Moreover, during the seminar, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) presented the results a report, that concluded that for all affected countries, the number of affected animals is very low in comparison with the total number of animals/herds, and there is currently no evidence that the Schmallenberg virus could cause illness in humans.