|
30th December 2002
Ms Egiziana Fragiotta,
Administrative Clerk
FOA HQ
Room C-527
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
Rome
egiziana.fragiotta@fao.org
Dear Ms Egiziana Fragiotta,
EUFMD Website on www.fao.org
I write to you as editor of the website www.land-care.org.uk.
I have been trying to access information from your website
but find to my surprise that the EUFMD component of the FAO
website was last updated in May 2002.
Many of us are looking to FOA and to EUFMD within FAO to
help expedite the organisation of the validation of diagnostic
tests for FMD that is acceptable within the European Community.
As editor of www.land-care.org.uk website I would like to
make reference to what progress FAO (and in particular EUFMD)
is making since the publication of all the FMD Inquiries,
including of course that recently published by the European
Parliament.
I really do not want to report when reviewing the year in
2002 that the FAO website (and the EUFMD section within it)
has, as far as I can ascertain, been left unattended for some
7 months, giving the impression of inactivity and lack of
interest.
Would you be so kind as to provide me with or direct me to
information for public consumption (i.e. suitable for inclusion
on www.land-care.org.uk) as to what progress EUFMD has been
making towards facilitating the developments and pan-EU agreement
over FMD rapid diagnostic tests, test that distinguish infected
from vaccinated animals, and pan European standardisation
or licensing of FMD vaccines. How is such an integrated activity
being funded and by whom?
These are matters of some urgency. Progress has been looked
for over many years, so that the tests can catch up with the
known science. Sadly, it appears that very little agreement
has actually been achieved. Why is this so? For the benefit
of our readers, would the EUFMD be so good as to explain.
If the EUFMD does not consider this matter to be within its
remit, could you please indicate to me (in my capacity as
editor of a website that has gained a substantial readership)
whose responsibility it is.
Yours sincerely,
Dr James Irvine FRSE
Previously member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh FMD Inquiry
Editor: www.land-care.org.uk
Email: editor@land-care.org.uk
or
Email: landcarescotland@aol.com
|
