BRATISLAVA – While the Slovak government emphasises that, according to the European Commission’s assessment, it took timely and even above-standard measures against the virus, Slovak MEP Michal Wiezik (PS/RE) warns that the EU-VET report also points to shortcomings that the government has not mentioned.
Wiezik shared the EU-VET mission to the Slovak Republic report on Facebook on Monday. The document, covering the period from 24 to 27 March 2025, assesses Slovakia’s response to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
Slovak MEP noted that while the government’s immediate response was evaluated positively, the report also includes critical recommendations.
“They concern testing, monitoring, and surveillance of the situation, which the commission deems insufficient and recommends significantly increasing. It also calls for developing a supervisory strategy managed by a central oversight authority. So far, I haven’t heard anything about this from (PM) Fico or (Agriculture Minister) Takáč,” Wiezik wrote.
The EU-VET report, among other things, states that his team “did not identify major shortcomings in the overall disease control strategy by Slovak authorities”.
However, it also notes that “while the team observed close cooperation between local, regional, and central veterinary services, it could not identify a local, regional, or central disease control center as defined by the applicable legislation.”
Additionally, the report also highlights delays in collecting and systematically processing critical epidemiological information, stressing an urgent need to accelerate these processes.
Wiezik also pointed out that the report does not mention “open containers with contaminated material.” This refers to viral videos that circulated on Slovak social media last week, showing at least two trucks transporting culled animals to a rendering plant with partially open containers.
The footage drew criticism from Czech Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný, who said he had personally called Slovak Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč, urging him to prevent similar incidents, as they pose a risk to Czech farmers as well.
Minister Takáč responded by stating that the trucks had departed with sealed containers and that a technical issue likely occurred during transport.
On Sunday, Slovakia confirmed a new foot-and-mouth disease outbreak at a large cattle farm in Plavecký Štvrtok village, marking the country’s fifth case. According to the EC, it is very likely that the disease has spread to Slovakia from Hungary.
(Natália Silenská | Euractiv.sk)