Iohannis requests Government to urgently adopt measures for stopping high number of swine flu outbreaks

President Klaus Iohannis demands the Government urgently adopt all measures in order to stop the high number of outbreaks of African swine fever and to compensate the affected producers as quickly as possible. 

"The President of Romania (...) rings an alarm bell on the major risks generated by the explosive spread of this virus . (...) President Klaus Iohannis considers that, at this time, the priority needs to be taking all measures to prevent the spreading of the virus and to compensate the affected producers as quickly as possible, so as to soften the social impact. Additionally, those who managed in a defective way this crisis should take the responsibility of the state of fact," a press release sent by the Presidential Administration shows. 

According to the head of state, "due to the defective way in which this crisis was managed, the PSD [the Social Democratic Party, e.n.] Government has pushed local producers to the brink of bankruptcy." 

"In Romania, there are currently over 700 outbreaks spread across 10 counties, including in Ilfov County, and the number of outbreaks is expanding at an alarming rate. The African swine fever is ravaging pig farmers, and the large farms in the south-east of the country are about to be practically exterminated. Damages of tens of millions of Euro, job losses are already being recorded, as well as the loss of important commercial opportunities for Romania. We are talking here about major implications for the national economy, because the African swine fever is jeopardizing all commercial farms that raise and fatten Romanian pigs, which produce approximately half of the total pork intended for internal consumption. The current state shows that the Government is incapable of managing the African swine flu situation, which has grave consequences for the Romanian economy. Just as serious is the fact that the responsible authorities did not inform the producers, nor the population, on time and efficiently, concerning the major risk of the African swine flue spread. Caught in the fight with Justice, in order to obtain its subordination, the PSD governing forgot to tackle the African swine fever, the most dangerous scourge that the Romanian stockbreeding has faced until now." the head of state says. 

He specifies that in 2016 the Executive established, through a Government Decision, the necessary measures in order to combat and prevent the African swine fever, with regard to the development and modernization of shelter facilities, necessary under these conditions, included, but, this year, the responsible authorities were once again caught unprepared, despite the precedents and warnings about how rapidly the outbreaks spread. 

The head of state draws attention to the fact that the Government was not concerned with providing accurate data about the records and traceability of livestock. 

President Iohannis underlines that despite the warnings given by the European Commission, after the virus first appeared in the Danube Delta, not all measures that were included in the contingency plan were taken, in order to prevent the expanding outbreaks of African swine fever to other areas of the national territory.