Our primary responsibility is to ensure that the disease does not spread to Norway and Norwegian livestock. My political decision is based on an overall evaluation of the uncertainty that still surrounds the spread of the disease on the continent, said Minister of Agriculture Bjarne Håkon Hanssen.

The Minister also explained that he had given careful consideration to the views and advice of the relevant authorities in Norway and the recommendations that have emerged from discussions with EU experts. In the last two weeks, the disease has been found in the Netherlands and Ireland, in addition to the outbreaks in the UK and France.

The veterinary authorities have pointed out that better information on how the disease has spread to France and the Netherlands is becoming available. The Norwegian Animal Health Authority has emphasized that when Norway’s veterinary safety measures are next revised, it may be appropriate to take account of the extent to which each country has been exposed to contact which carries a risk of infection. At present, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Austria and Switzerland are countries where the risk of such contact is probably less than for other countries.

I am therefore asking the Norwegian veterinary authorities to keep the possibility of relaxing the ban on imports under constant review. This applies to countries or regions in the EU/EFTA area where the disease has not been reported and where the risk of infection is considered to be minimal, said the Minister of Agriculture.

The Minister expressed a hope that it will soon be possible to harmonize Norwegian safeguard measures with the measures being implemented by the EU. He also stressed that if we are to succeed in eradicating foot and mouth disease in Europe, we need to coordinate efforts in the EU/EFTA area as closely as possible.

The Norwegian import ban is being implemented according to the procedures laid down in the EEA Agreement for implementing national veterinary safety measures. Norway has been in regular contact with EU bodies and is maintaining a dialogue with the political and veterinary authorities in the Nordic countries.