Livestock farmers’ organisations are set to raise the need for European Union oversight of funds allocated to combat animal diseases in the north during a meeting with the President of the Republic on Sunday.
The meeting, scheduled for 10:30 a.m., will bring together associations of cattle breeders, sheep and goat farmers and pig farmers, the cheesemakers’ association, the Cyprus Veterinary Association, the Veterinary Services of Cyprus and agricultural organisations.
EU mechanism for the north
Speaking to CNA, Nikos Papakyriakou, Director General of the Pancyprian Organisation of Cattle Breeders, said a key issue to be raised is the need for the EU to establish a coordinating mechanism involving the Veterinary Services of the Republic of Cyprus and the competent services in the north. The aim would be to monitor efforts on the other side of the island to eradicate the disease.
Papakyriakou noted that the EU has been funding programmes since 2021 to combat animal diseases in the occupied areas and questioned whether sufficient monitoring exists regarding the measures taken and how the funds are used.
“You cannot provide funding without knowing where the money goes and what actions are being taken,” he said, adding that the circumstances under which the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease occurred should be investigated.
Briefed through photographs
He also said that authorities in the north should follow the same protocols applied in the government-controlled areas, stressing that “the EU, which provides the funding from taxpayers’ money, has a responsibility to ensure proper oversight”.
Referring to a visit by European officials to the north in December, Papakyriakou said that, according to information received, they were not allowed to collect samples or visit farms and were instead briefed through photographs. He added that the EU did not react, and vaccines were subsequently sent.
Calls to cut culling
Farmers are also expected to raise the issue of the culling of animals. Papakyriakou said livestock breeders are calling for culling to stop in cases where animals have been vaccinated and pose no risk of transmitting the disease to other livestock, which could prevent the slaughter of entire herds.
He stressed that the situation regarding foot-and-mouth disease is not “black or white” and that authorities should be able to assess each case individually before deciding on culling.
Papakyriakou also warned that, since infected cattle have already been identified, the disease could spread to additional livestock units and is likely to remain a concern for the sector.
He concluded that eliminating the disease will require a coordinated approach across the entire island, noting that “there cannot be two different standards in Cyprus”.