The European Parliament will today call for a re-examination of the EU's vaccination policy on foot-and-mouth but will not seek mass vaccination of EU animals.
MEPs will call on the European Commission to allow the use of "ring vaccination" in a region with foot-and-mouth, which is currently taking place in parts of the Netherlands and has been permitted in some areas of Britain.
They are also asking for temporary emergency vaccination in a region free of foot-and-mouth, to act as a "buffer" to a region or member-state with recorded cases. This would involve strict restrictions on the movement of animals within the buffer zone.
These proposals are included in a resolution which has been agreed by political parties in response to a statement this week from the EU Commissioner on Food Safety, Mr David Byrne - he said he was strongly against vaccination as a means of controlling the disease.
He said vaccination "certainly appears as an attractive alternative to killing and destroying animals. But the reality is far, far different. And this reality is that there are important limits to vaccination".
These included the damage vaccination would cause to international trade. Vaccination is effective only against a specific strain of the virus for a limited period, and there are seven main strains of the virus, each with several sub-strains. Furthermore, there is no test to distinguish vaccinated animals from infected animals.
Mr Byrne said eradication continued to be the preferred means of controlling the spread of the virus. He also denied the EU's policies to control the outbreaks were failing. A mass vaccination would involve more than 300 million susceptible animals.
The resolution is expected to be passed when MEPs vote on it today. They are also asking the European Commission to develop a strategy for "an overall reduction of animal transport for the future".
They are also calling for a compensation package to be put in place for food or veterinary crises.
"This resolution is a clear recognition of the seriousness with which the European Parliament takes the problems caused by food-and-mouth in Europe," said Fianna Fail MEP Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher.