AWE new member of ExPla

The members of the European Exporters' Platform (ExPla) accepted the bid for membership of the Belgian breeders organisation Association Wallonne de l'Elevage (AWE). This has been decided at the ExPla meeting on 28 October 2015 at the premises of the ADT in Brussels.

The representatives of the association, based in Ciney (Belgium), will join ExPla's Working group on Semen and Embryos (S&E). ExPla is now represented in 10 EU Member States, which collectively account for more than 80% of breeding cattle exports and more than 85% of bovine semen exports throughout the EU.

The main topics of the meeting were a discussion on TRACES, the EU system for the management of movements of animals and animal products with the Head of Unit responsible in the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (Sante) of the European Commission, an exchange on the re-emergence of Bluetongue in some European countries, the unresolved consequences of detecting Schmallenberg virus and a debate on the conditions for the export of bovine semen from the EU to various Third countries. The meeting was attended by several representatives of the Directorates-General Sante and Trade.