Veterinary programmes

The EU co-finances actions to prevent, detect, control or eliminate animal diseases. This contributes to the improvement of both animal and human health within the EU.

The veterinary programmes aim to reduce negative impact of animal diseases on animal and human health, with a focus on:

• Diseases with major impact on animal and/or human health and trade, including transboundary diseases which can be introduced into the Union territory from non-EU countries;
• Diseases with limited impact on animal and/or human health and close to eradication within the EU.

With the support of EU co-financing, major animal diseases have already been eliminated from most EU countries. Examples include diseases affecting both animals and humans, such as rabies, bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, and those affecting animals and trade, causing huge economic damage to livestock producers, such as foot and mouth disease and classical swine fever.