EU expected to lift foot-and-mouth disease restrictions on Hungary soon
The European Union could lift all restrictions imposed on Hungary due to foot-and-mouth disease within days under optimal circumstances, Agriculture Minister István Nagy said on Tuesday at the “Foot-and-Mouth Disease – Restart After Standstill: The Role of Reproductive Biology and Epidemic Protection in Sustainable Recovery” conference held at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest.
The minister emphasized that one of the key lessons from managing the outbreak is the need for more veterinary professionals with hands-on experience. He announced that in cooperation with the University of Veterinary Medicine, the training program for animal health inspectors will be relaunched, recognizing that veterinary training is not only a matter of public health, but also of national and economic importance.
During his address, Nagy praised Hungary’s veterinary services for their exemplary response in a situation of historic magnitude, noting they earned international recognition. He expressed gratitude to all those involved in the epidemic response, including experts from the authorities, local leaders in affected municipalities, veterinarians, public health officials, law enforcement officers, and farmers. He especially highlighted the support of veterinary students.
The conference focused on restarting after the outbreak. Minister Nagy recalled that the virus appeared in farms operating in the municipalities of Kisbajcs, Levél, Darnózseli, Dunakiliti, and Rábapordány. Many questions remain unanswered about the source and transmission of the virus, which resurfaced in Hungary after more than 50 years. Laboratories and experts are actively working to determine how the outbreak occurred.
Nagy also stressed the importance of applying the lessons learned from managing the foot-and-mouth outbreak to daily operations. This includes maintaining effective biosecurity measures and ensuring the long-term, safe operation of livestock farms.
The Ministry of Agriculture will offer non-refundable financial support to cattle, sheep, and goat farmers for investments in epidemic protection infrastructure.
Farmers can submit applications starting June 25. The aim of the support scheme is to prevent infectious diseases, minimize the risk of introduction, and limit the spread of any outbreaks.
“Each development brings us closer to responding even more effectively to any future epidemics,” the minister underlined.
He added that a key task now is to restart the sector and restore trade and export relations. A major step forward is that Hungary is expected to regain its disease-free status within the EU in the coming days. However, restoring that status with non-EU countries will take more time.
Laboratory testing must continue, and based on the results, Hungary will submit documentation to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to regain its international status. After the evaluation and approval, substantive negotiations with third countries can begin.
The Hungarian government is doing everything in its power to ensure a successful and swift conclusion to these negotiations, Nagy said.
The minister also warned that while foot-and-mouth disease is a current concern, other worrisome trends persist. African swine fever continues to spread across Europe—currently present only in Hungary’s wild boar population—and avian influenza remains a constant challenge requiring ongoing vigilance.
In January, peste des petits ruminants (PPR) was detected in a shipment of sheep imported from Romania to Zala County. Thanks to swift and professional action, the virus did not spread, but Hungary lost its historic disease-free status for PPR.
He also noted the growing incidence of rabies in wild animals along Hungary’s northeastern border, due to disrupted immunization programs. In Ukraine, the war has prevented authorities from carrying out fox vaccination programs, and in Romania, other challenges have hindered similar efforts.
Hungary considers vaccination a critical epidemic control tool, and during its EU presidency has initiated high-level discussions on increasing EU-level support for such efforts. At Hungary’s proposal, the EU placed the revision of its vaccination policies on the agenda, including reassessing the applicability of vaccines to specific animal diseases, Nagy explained.
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