EU to send veterinary emergency team to Catalonia over African swine fever outbreak

The European Union will deploy its Veterinary Emergency Team to Catalonia on Tuesday to tackle the outbreak of African swine fever in the Collserola hills on the outskirts of Barcelona.

The European Commission announced on Monday that EUVET will support national and local authorities in containing and responding to the outbreak of ASF.

In a statement, the Commission said it is "closely monitoring" the situation and remains in contact with Spanish authorities. 

"Spain must implement the measures established under EU law, and we are ready to provide all necessary assistance should the disease's impact increase," the statement read. Brussels also urged third countries to "respect" the principle of regionalisation in pork exports.

EU-mandated control measures

The European Commission confirmed on Monday that Spain had reported the first cases of ASF "since the disease was eradicated in 1995."

"Spain’s central competent authority notified the outbreaks after the Catalonia's Official Veterinary Services (SVO) detected two wild boars that tested positive for ASF in Cerdanyola del Vallès, in the Vallès Occidental region," the Commission explained.

"The Catalan SVO are already implementing all EU-mandated control measures, including the establishment of an infected zone; active search and controlled removal of wild boar carcasses; a hunting ban to prevent movement into ASF-free areas; restrictions on non-essential activities; enhanced passive surveillance and biosecurity measures on pig farms; and official inspections of these farms, among others," Brussels added.

The Commission said the EUVET mission will begin this week to provide on-the-ground support, and the situation will be reviewed in upcoming veterinary meetings.

Exports to third countries

Regarding exports of Spanish pork products to countries outside the EU, the Commission noted that Spain cannot currently issue export certificates for animals or animal products that require ASF-free status.

However, Brussels called on third countries to avoid blocking all exports from Spain, the European Union's top pork producer.

"We invite third countries to respect the principle of regionalisation and not to prohibit exports from the entire territory of Spain," said EU Health spokesperson Eva Hrncirova.

Minister: Key week for Catalonia 

More than 400 personnel will work in the Collserola area this week to contain the outbreak of African swine fever.

Catalan agriculture minister Òscar Ordeig stressed that the ongoing efforts were "very important" to limit the disease's impact on Catalonia's economy, society, territory, and reputation.

"The country's future in the coming years is at stake," Ordeig said at a press briefing on Monday.

The goal is to keep the outbreak "as short as possible" to help resume exports to more than 100 countries.

The minister also called for "citizen responsibility," noting that since Saturday authorities have received 384 calls to the emergency number 112 reporting dead wild boars in the area.

Ordeig said that, as of Monday lunchtime, there were still two confirmed cases and eight suspected ones, now being analysed in Madrid, out of a total of 40 carcasses collected.

He reiterated that all 39 farms in the area had so far tested negative.

"It's very important what we do between now and Friday. Priority number one is ensuring that no wild boar enters the food chain of pig farms and that none escape this 20-kilometre zone," he said.

Catalan president Salvador Illa – currently in Mexico for the Guadalajara International Book Fair and a series of cultural and economic meetings – will request to appear before Parliament to address the African swine fever outbreak.

Amid criticism from opposition parties for not cancelling his trip, the government insists Illa is monitoring the situation closely.

Farmers confident 

Catalan farmers are confident that the "high" biosecurity measures in place at their farms will prevent African swine fever from spreading.

They emphasize that all farms have fences, controlled entry and exit points, disinfection showers, and strict livestock movement protocols.

Pino Delàs, the Farmers' Union's head of Ecological Agriculture in Girona, stressed that farmers are victims of the outbreak, and lamented the fact that inspections are targeting farms, which are not the source of the outbreak, rather than investigating its origin.

Restricted access to Collserola Park

Access to the entire Collserola Natural Park, on the outskirts of Barcelona, is temporarily restricted for recreational activities.

The restriction does not apply to residents living within the park but visitors are asked to avoid hiking, cycling, or other recreational activities.

Park officials stress that public cooperation is essential to contain the outbreak and protect both local wildlife and Catalonia's pork industry.

Over the weekend, the number of hikers and cyclists from the Vallès Occidental side dropped by up to 90%, while on the Barcelona side it decreased between 5% and 71%.

Spanish pork industry

Spanish meat producers are hoping that export restrictions will be applied regionally, to limit economic damage.

Ignasi Pons, Secretary General of FECIC, a Spain-wide industry body based in Barcelona, said regional measures could allow markets to reopen "as soon as possible."

He added that while some countries accept regionalisation, the level – county, province, or autonomous community – will determine the impact. "If we can manage to do it by county rather than by province, it will be better."

FECIC expressed "concern" about the outbreak and singled out Mexico and Japan as particularly important markets.

Other key export markets for Spanish pork include China, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States.

On the outbreak itself, Pons warned that more cases are likely. “If new cases appear within the contained zone, it will be the lesser of evils,” he said. “It will show that the disease is under control and not spreading, which is very positive.”

On the outbreak itself, Pons warned that more cases are likely. "If new cases appear within the contained zone, it will be the lesser of two evils," he said, adding that it would show the disease is under control and not spreading, which would be "very positive."

Military deployment

Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME) has deployed 117 personnel and 25 vehicles to Catalonia to support efforts to contain the ASF outbreak, the Spanish government delegation in Catalonia said in a statement on Monday.

The Spanish government has also made the Civil Guard available to assist the Catalan authorities. 

Hipra preparing ASF vaccine trials

Girona-based biotech company Hipra will start animal trials next year for its experimental vaccines against African swine fever (ASF).

Hipra has been researching the virus since 2019 – after ASF devastated China's pig population – and has led a European project over the past two years to develop a vaccine.

Marta Sitjà, Director of Research for Hipra's Animal Health Division, described ASF as a "very complex" virus, noting that it contains up to 150 proteins. 

The company cannot yet provide a timeline for when a vaccine will be available. "We are still a long way from that point," Sitjà said.