On behalf of the Commission, Vladimir Subbotin, Deputy Director of the Department for Sanitary, Phytosanitary and Veterinary Measures, welcomed the event participants. He highlighted that the EEC had more than ten years of successful cooperation with WOAH under the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2014.
"The relevance of the issues under discussion is due to the fact that sheep and goat pox causes significant damage to livestock production and could lead to the imposition of significant restrictive measures in international trade and, as a consequence, a reduction in the export potential of EAEU countries," mentioned Vladimir Subbotin.
Budimir Plavšić, WOAH Regional Representative for Europe, emphasized the importance of cooperation and joint efforts of countries in the fight against such a dangerous disease as sheep and goat pox.
WOAH experts presented their traditional review of the World Organization's standards and recommendations for sheep and goat pox, a brief overview of the current epizootic situation in the European region, and the main changes to the WOAH code for this disease planned for 2026.
During the webinar, representatives of authorized bodies from EAEU countries, as well as the Federal Center for Animal Health, informed participants about the epizootic situation in their regions and their work with regard to pox in small ruminants. The need to conduct interlaboratory comparative tests of the countries of the Union on sheep and goat pox next year was noted.
Representatives of competent authorities and delegates from several European countries – Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Georgia – shared their experiences in combating disease outbreaks that occurred in these countries, the results of epizootiological investigations, and the problems encountered during their containment and elimination. Particular attention was paid to the problems of animal vaccination.
Webinar participants were provided with information on the implementation of a comprehensive approach to automating laboratory monitoring of epizootic safety in the EAEU countries.
In conclusion, Vladimir Subbotin expressed confidence that the information received at the event, along with the use of WOAH standards and recommendations, will help veterinary specialists in the EAEU countries organize their work to combat the spread of pox in small ruminants.
The webinar was organized in accordance with the approved program of activities for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Commission and WOAH for 2025-2027.
The event was attended by representatives of the CIS Executive Committee and the EAEU Observer States — Cuba and Uzbekistan.
World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) is the leading international organization dedicated to improving animal health worldwide and ensuring global animal welfare. The EEC and WOAH cooperate under the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2014 and the programme of activities for its implementation for 2025–2027.
Sheep pox and goat pox are highly contagious viral diseases of small ruminants. According to the WOAH classification, they are classified as transboundary animal diseases capable of causing epizootics and inflicting substantial economic damage.
