Aujeszky's Disease (AD)

In 1990 the EU proposed that intra-community trade in breeding and production pigs should be restricted to pigs free of Aujeszky’s Disease (AD).  Other Member States including the UK (with the exception of the north of Ireland) were able to demonstrate that they were AD free or had an approved eradication programme in place. Consequently, pigs from here had to meet certain additional trading requirements in respect of AD. To facilitate trade, the Department, with the support of industry introduced an Aujeszky’s Disease Eradication Scheme (ADES) which was compulsorily applied to the whole industry.

The Department successfully applied through Defra to Europe for recognition of our eradication scheme in 2009 i.e. to be listed in Annex II of EU Commission Decision 2008/185. Annex II status allows us to work towards our ultimate aim of Official Aujeszky’s Disease Freedom i.e. to be listed in Annex I of EU Commission Decision 2008/185.  Annex I status will remove restrictions on the pig industry and open up trade opportunities.

The existing disease control legislation for Aujeskys Disease, the Aujeskys Disease Order (Northern Ireland) 1994 and the Aujeskys Disease Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 1994 is now to be replaced.  The effect of this legislation was to apply control measures to support an Aujeskys Disease Eradication Scheme and achieving EU recognition of AD freedom.  These Regulations now need to be updated to allow Northern Ireland to join the rest of the UK in being recognised by the EU as Officially Aujesky’s Disease Free.

The new legislation will enable the Department to apply a compulsory vaccination ban and impose a monitoring and surveillance scheme in the summer of 2011 in advance of an application to the Commission to be recognised as Officially AD free under Annex 1.

The deadline for responses is 10 March 2011