The European Union Health Minister has hit out at Germany as the health crisis gripping Europe shows little signs of abating.
Mr John Dalli, a former Maltese politician, who has been the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy since 2010, warned countries to avoid triggering unjustified fears all over Europe about the source of the E.coli outbreak. It creates problems for our food producers selling their products in the EU and outside of the EU, he told Parliament ahead of a crisis meeting in Luxembourg.
Hopes that the source of the outbreak had been traced to a bean sprouts producer in Lower Saxony, 40 miles from Hamburg, were belied after German officials ruled that the organic farm was not the culprit. German officials had initially pointed the finger at cucumbers from Spain, an accusation they have since retracted in the wake of furious protests from that country. Spain has since warned that it will seek full compensation from Germany for the impact that the crisis has had.
Meanwhile, the toll from the deadly E.coli outbreak, which the World Health Organisation has warned is a rare strain never before seen in an EHEC outbreak, rose to 22 on Tuesday, with over 2,200 taken ill.
Agriculture Ministers from the region were due to meet on Tuesday to decide how to support and compensate farmers who have been hit by the crisis.
Industry bodies have warned that the crisis has been devastating for the European fresh vegetable industry, which trades around €1 billion a week.
According to Freshfel Europe, the body representing the fresh produce industry including fruit and vegetable producers, Spain is losing around €200 million a week, Netherlands around €80 million a week, Germany, €30 million a week, with France, and Belgium also affected; and Italy and Greece affected to follow soon.
Trade was being affected by the cancellation of programmes to buy products and calls to buy local, rather than any restrictions within the EU, Freshfel Europe said, adding that the introduction of a cross-product ban by Russia, and country specific bans by other countries such as the UAE were having a devastating effect. In the long term, the sector will also face damages given lost image as a result of the outbreak, said Freshfel.