A crucial day in the legal battle against cattle culling in Sardinia for lumpy skin disease. A few hours ago, the Regional Administrative Court of Sardinia suspended, for the first time, the Nuoro Local Health Authority's orders regarding the culling of vaccinated cattle, never infected, and considered immune (more than 28 days after vaccination). The appeals, filed by five companies in the Nuoro area and co-signed by lawyers Caterina Zoroddu and Valentina Ceron, were granted as a precautionary measure.
A few hours later, however, the Council of State issued a counter-argument, reversing its previous precautionary decision. It rejected the appeal filed by Società Agricola Agropower, represented by lawyer Antonello Rossi, and confirmed the culling of approximately 500 cattle on a farm in northern Sardinia where an active outbreak had been confirmed.
In justifying the decision, agreeing with the regional lawyers Sonia Siu and Floriana Isola, Donato Marongiu for the IZS, and Carlo De Cesaro for the Sassari Local Health Authority, President Rosanna De Nictolis emphasized that the animals were destined for slaughter in any case, and that the economic damage was neither serious nor irreparable , being covered by the compensation provided. The Council also deemed exceptions such as suppressive vaccination or the separation of epidemiological units inapplicable due to insufficient documentation submitted.
It should be noted that the Council of State itself, at an earlier stage, had granted a suspension, which has now been overridden by the health emergency and the worsening epidemiological situation. Two opposing views emerged in a matter of hours: administrative justice divided between health rigour and the protection of farmers .