Question
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the announcement on 14 December that a new case of Blue Tongue had been confirmed in a cow near Middlesbrough, whether restrictions are now in place to stop the importation of cattle from the restricted zone in Germany into the United Kingdom; and, if not, whether they have any plans to introduce such restrictions.
Answer
Under the EU bluetongue regulation, susceptible animals are permitted to move out of restricted zones into free areas provided an official veterinarian of the exporting country certifies that all the necessary conditions have been met. Importers also have a responsibility to import only animals that comply with the rules and to notify Animal Health in advance of the movement. Investigations are currently under way to determine the precise circumstances under which these animals were exported from Germany.