According to the European branch of the "Green Front", heads of veterinary services of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed this week in Pulawy (Poland) agreement on measures to combat African swine fever.

The document indicates what actions deemed necessary to combat this disease. Among other things it checks pigs and wild boars, liquidation farms, where the detected virus, and measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Signatories to the agreement, we hope that by joint efforts we will be able to receive large funds to fight the disease from the European Union. Today, the EU will Finance 50 percent of the costs of each country for this purpose. If subsidies will be asked a few countries, this figure will rise to 75 percent, and in some cases the EU can fully cover the costs.

This is the second such meeting. The first was held in early August in Vilnius. Now on the basis of an agreement document has been created, which in September will be sent to the European Commission. It will prepare the head of the Lithuanian veterinary service.

Problems with ASF observed in Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. Infections in Estonia has not yet been fixed. Poland, however, there were 14 cases in wild boars and 2 cases in domestic pigs.

African swine fever appeared in Poland and Lithuania in the beginning of this year. A little later the virus was detected in Latvia. It is believed that the disease came to Poland and the Baltic countries from Belarus with wild boars. More than 600 of disease outbreaks recorded in Russia, where the virus brings huge economic losses, as infected herds must be destroyed.

Due to the detection of ASF Russia and Belarus in February imposed an embargo on the import of pork from Poland. Restrictions on imports of meat introduced in many other countries. Lose the pork producers and processing enterprises.

In the opinion of the representative of the "Green Front" in Europe Aleksey Kovtun, the efforts of countries to combat the disease effectively unite only when it comes to financial compensation expenses, but no one asks the question, how effective were these expenses. "Unfortunately, we do not see a coordinated cross-border activities in countries affected by the virus, "says the expert. - This is manifested most clearly in the situation of shooting wild boars that roam in Eastern Europe virtually unopposed. For example, in Poland the plan not just shooting failed: the population of wild pigs has grown so much that encouraged farmers to public protest. The penetration of the epidemic into Europe is only a matter of time".