The former governor Francesco Pigliaru, the former health councilor Luigi Arru, the former president of the regional council Gianfranco Ganau and the former scientific director of the swine fever eradication program have launched an appeal to the European Commissioner for Health and Safety food, Stella Kyriakides, to accept the requests of Sardinia on the modification of the current EU rules relating to Psa on the island, finally giving the go ahead for the marketing of pigs and their products.
In an open letter also addressed to President Christian Solinas and Health Minister Roberto Speranza, the exponents of the former council explained that "there should be no longer any doubt, African swine fever has been eradicated from Sardinia and no Psa outbreak in pig farms since September 2018; the virus has not been found in illegal wild pigs since January 2019 ".
For this reason, "failure to recognize the work done would be a very negative signal that would be perceived in our island as a signal of the distance of the European Union from its citizens".
These days the Commission inspectors are carrying out an audit on the island. The signatories of the letter are convinced that "they will photograph with objectivity and accuracy the very favorable epidemiological situation, despite some critical issues, such as the reappearance of wild pigs in increasing numbers in the last year, on which, however, no positivity has been found".
Pigliaru and the other exponents of the former council also argue that "the results obtained with a modest expenditure for the public purse clearly indicate the validity of the process initiated since the beginning of the past legislature (2014-2019) by the council and the regional council which had considered the eradication of African swine fever as a priority and avoided the threatened commissioner by the ministerial part thanks to a series of measures ", acknowledging the current administration" of not having interrupted, albeit amid delays and inconsistencies, at least part of the actions foreseen by the eradication program implemented by the previous council, including the fight against wild grazing ".
(Unioneonline / F)