Immediate operational plan is implemented with 7 extraordinary measures to tackle the epizooty of sheep and goats, following a decision by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Costas Tsiara.

The situation is considered extremely critical and requires universal mobilization of all available forces, with the aim of immediate restriction and complete eradication of the disease, the ministry stresses.

The measures decided and entered into force are as follows:

1. After contacting the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiara with the relevant regional governors are declared Special Civil Protection Mobilization Status The following regions:

  • Western Greece (Regional Unit: Aitoloakarnania)
  • Central Greece (regional section: Fokida)
  • Thessaly (Regional Units: Magnesia, Larissa, Trikala)
  • Western Macedonia (Florina Regional Unit)
  • Central Macedonia (Regional Units: Serres, Halkidiki)
  • Eastern Macedonia-Thrace (Regional Units: Xanthi, North Evros, Rodopi and Samothraki).

2. Intensify the Measures to apply the universal ban on sheep and goats within the protection and surveillance zones. The implementation of the measure will be assisted by the Greek Police, which will control the vehicles carrying illegal animals within, and within the boundaries of these zones. At the same time, Civil Protection and the Greek Police, using drones, will help surveillance areas to combat illegal grazing. To this end, Kostas Tsiaras has already contacted the Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoid and Minister of Civil Protection, Yiannis Kefalogiannis.

3. The Minister of Rural Development and Food requested the mobilization of all of veterinarian serving in the supervisory bodies of the Ministry of Environment enhance the operational forces in the field.

4. Even in cases of appeal to justice by holders of farms in which cases of the disease are found, the competent services will immediately take all the measures provided for, such as the killing of animalsin accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 625/2017, to ensure its restriction.

5. Regions take over the systematic disinfection of rural roads in the protection zones, with an emphasis on areas around the fireplaces.

6. The imposition of the sanctions for all the violations and examines the tightening of the framework.

7. The Special Epizotori Management Committee is immediately recommendedwith the participation of executives of the Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, representatives of ETHEA, representatives of Interdisciplinary Organizations (Meat and Feta), SEV-GAP, SEK, ELGO Dimitra and the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Thessaly.

Finally, it is noted that the Ministry of Rural Development and Food remains on constant operational readiness and calls on all stakeholders in full compliance and cooperation to effectively tackle epizooty.