However, Parliament has also called for more efforts and coordination as regards research aimed at developing FMD vaccines.

The United Kingdom tackled FMD by means of a contingency plan pursuant to Article 5(2) of Directive 90/423/EEC, as approved by the Commission in 1993 and last amended in 2000; the contingency plan described how the British authorities would tackle an FMD outbreak, in particular as regards legal powers and the financial conditions for combating the disease, the command structure and the powers of the national crisis control centre and of local centres, as well as arrangements in terms of staff, diagnostic laboratories and public relations.

4. Calls on the Commission to draw up, together with the Member States, a detailed strategy aimed at reducing the risk of introduction of FMD by tourists and to submit either an adequate administrative proposal or a legislative proposal to Parliament and the Council as soon as possible; the strategy should include minimum standards for control measures at the borders of the European Union and at EU airports; the standards should not be weaker than the most stringent standards applied in comparable countries;

Strict processing regulations, by which I specifically mean rules governing sterilisation and the destruction of potential pathogens, and firm European regulations on traceability and control are indispensable and reduce the risk of the spread of epizootic diseases such as foot and mouth disease and classical swine fever.

I must also highlight the following: the need for a precise, rigorous and up-to-date assessment of the implementation of the common agricultural policy reform, specifically taking account of the consequences of the BSE and foot-and-mouth crises. We also need a timetabled approach to the future, which involves respecting the commitments given by the European Union at successive European Councils, particularly the Lisbon Council on employment and competitiveness, the Tampere Council on asylum and immigration and the Nice Council on the consequences of failing to conclude fisheries agreements with Morocco; the clarification of costs for ex ...[+++]ternal policy and common security, particularly with regard to the division of responsibilities between the Council and the Commission, respect for the financial perspective’s ceilings in category 4 too, in which attention must be paid to the traditional priorities of the European Parliament, which are well-known; the precise identification of real expenditure resulting from the enlargement process, with particular emphasis on administrative expenditure in category 5 and lastly, real consideration of the proposals previously made by Parliament, especially those relating to preparatory action and pilot projects.

1. Each Member State shall draw up a plan of warning, specifying the national measures to be implemented in the event of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.