23.12.2004

The European Union Thursday suspended all imports of live poultry from Bulgaria after an outbreak of a highly contagious avian disease in the EU candidate country.
The EU's executive commission said the outbreak of Newcastle disease in backyard poultry (448 chickens - stamping out was applied on 16 December 2004) had been confirmed in the region of Kardjali, near Bulgaria's borders with Greece and Turkey.
The EU ban was imposed as a "safeguard measure" and covers imports of Bulgarian live poultry, game birds, hatching eggs and fresh poultry meat.
The decision will be reviewed at a meeting of EU health experts on January.