Compensations for the losses caused by bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Since 2001 when the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was identified in the Czech Republic, a total of 27 infected cows have been detected. A single outbreak of BSE in 2007 confirms that, in the Czech Republic, the disease incidence has a decreasing trend, which is in agreement with the situation in other EU countries. In order to conrol the disease and in the interests of human health protection, the killing of infected animals and related cohorts (groups of potentially infected animals), as well as eliminaton of specified risk material (SRM) were commenced. To reduce the negative impact of these measures on agricultural production it was possible, on the basis of the Veterinary Act No. 166/1999, to compensate the relevant costs to the farmers involved; these were covered by the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic from the budgedary chapter „General Treasury Administration“. Between the outbreak in 2001 and 2007, a total of 1 181 296 cows were examined and, based on the finding of 27 BSE-positive animals, 3 994 cows were subsequently slaughtered. BSE exa­mi­na­tion, killing and decontamination costs amounted to 18.9 million CZK, compensation costs for killed animals reached almost 163.9 million CZK and compensation for unaccomplished production accounted for over 13.6 million CZK. Together with other additional costs, the total financial compensations paid out during the period of BSE presence were almost 197 million CZK. The findings of this study are discussed and compared with rather sparse information available on the costs related to BSE abroad. The available data suggests that the compensations for BSE-related costs paid to farmers in the Czech Republic were proportional to those in the European Union, USA or Canada.

Keywords

• bovine spongiform encephalopathy
• infectious disease
• cattle
• costs
• financial compensation
• financial law