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Parties Demand Immediate Action on Foot-and-Mouth Disease After Meeting with EU Commissioner

Published March 13, 2026, 14:11
Parties Demand Immediate Action on Foot-and-Mouth Disease After Meeting with EU Commissioner

Following a meeting with EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Oliver Varhelyi, leaders and representatives of parliamentary parties are calling for immediate measures to address the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and its economic consequences. The President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, emphasized the critical situation and the need to inform the public about the true extent of the problem, pointing out that there is no room for deviation from the protocols set by the EU. MP Yannakis Gavriel of AKEL accused the government of being slow to take action and stressed that the meeting should have taken place earlier, when the disease was diagnosed in the occupied territories. He also raised questions about the management of the situation in the occupied territories and the different approaches (vaccinations there, culling here). Mr. Gavriel warned of the risk of exterminating the livestock population of Cyprus and the long process of rebuilding livestock farming. He emphasized the need for honest public information so that the measures taken can be supported. The President of DIKO, Nikola Papadopoulos, reiterated the EU's position on the implementation of European protocols, warning of the risk of the spread of foot-and-mouth disease throughout Cyprus and the destruction of livestock farming, with serious consequences for the economy.