Rafaela Dimitriadi
The arrival of European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Oliver Várhelyi in Cyprus brought a decisive end to livestock farmers’ request that animals not infected with foot and mouth disease be spared on farms where cases have been detected.
Várhelyi made it clear that there is no flexibility in the European Union’s rules. Any farm where a case is confirmed must see all animals culled in order to contain the virus.
His position dashed hopes among Cypriot farmers that exceptions might be possible. Those expectations had been fuelled by the government’s unclear messaging and by statements from President Nikos Christodoulides suggesting there might be room to modify the protocols after meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The commissioner stressed that strict adherence to EU rules is the only way to bring the crisis under control.
“This is the only way to get out of this crisis quickly and without major losses of animals, nor major financial losses for farmers,” he said.
Concern about the potential consequences of the outbreak is not limited to the agricultural sector. Business leaders warn that if the crisis is not contained quickly, its effects could ripple through the wider economy, affecting tourism and disrupting supply chains.
Lessons from other countries
Foot and mouth outbreaks in other EU countries have been contained only through strict enforcement of the same rules now being applied in Cyprus.
The most dramatic example came in England in 2001, when more than 2,000 farms were infected and more than six million animals were killed to stop the spread of the disease. Farms were placed in quarantine, animal movements were banned and even elections were postponed. The social and economic impact on the country was enormous.
More recent outbreaks have followed the same approach.
In Hungary in 2025 nearly 10,000 pigs were culled after cases were detected on four to five farms.
In Slovakia the same year approximately 7,500 cattle were killed after infections were found on four to five farms.
Germany also detected a case in 2025 near its border with Poland. Hundreds of animals were culled and the virus was contained within one or two facilities.
A message of support
Despite the strict framework he outlined during his visit, Várhelyi also sought to reassure Cypriot authorities and farmers that the European Union will support them through the crisis.
During meetings last Friday with the President of the Republic, the Minister of Agriculture and affected stakeholders, he expressed confidence that Cyprus can overcome the outbreak just as other countries have done.
“We will not leave Cyprus and its farmers alone in this crisis. We have seen similar situations last year in Slovakia and Hungary. This is the only way to eliminate the disease. It worked there and I am certain that Cyprus will succeed as well.”
The commissioner confirmed that financial compensation will be provided to farmers for the loss of animals and the destruction of livestock products.
Compensation will cover the culling of animals, the disposal of carcasses, and the destruction of meat, dairy products and milk.
He also said that once Cyprus regains its disease free status, the EU will assist in rebuilding the country’s livestock population.
When asked about the decision in the occupied areas of Cyprus to vaccinate animals rather than cull them, Várhelyi said efforts are under way to convince authorities there of the effectiveness and higher level of protection offered by EU protocols.
Questions over government handling
The commissioner’s clear position has also prompted questions about whether the government had a consistent stance from the beginning of the crisis.
Farmers were initially led to believe that culling might be avoided after a meeting with President Christodoulides, who said he would submit an official request to the European Commission for an exemption from existing EU protocols.
That position appeared to leave open the possibility of a different approach. It also remains unclear what specific flexibility Cyprus sought from Brussels or whether such a request was ultimately submitted to von der Leyen.
Another open question is whether the President consulted scientific experts before suggesting possible deviations from the EU rules. Epidemiologists later stated during a press conference that culling infected herds is necessary to control the disease.
Confusion deepened last Sunday when authorities announced a temporary suspension of animal culling.
Despite that announcement, a livestock farmer was later informed that his animals would still be culled. The decision sparked a protest by dozens of farmers from various districts, who on Wednesday morning blocked the road outside the SOPAZ area in Aradippou.
The protest took place in a city where 38 livestock facilities have already been infected, raising serious concern among experts that the gathering itself could contribute to further spread of the virus.
There are also questions about the government’s response when the first case of foot and mouth disease was detected in the occupied areas last December.
Critics ask whether Cyprus requested permission from the European Commission to vaccinate animals in the free areas, whether cooperation mechanisms were established with Turkish Cypriot authorities, whether disinfection systems were installed at crossing points and whether checks at those points were carried out regularly.
Signs of a lack of planning
Some observers say the government’s actions after the first case appeared in the free areas suggest a lack of preparation.
One controversial decision was to send police officers to affected farms to take statements from livestock farmers while they were already dealing with the outbreak.
The move angered many farmers.
“Instead of sending us psychologists, they sent us the police,” one farmer said.
The handling of the crisis by Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou has also drawn criticism.
She spoke publicly about the situation for the first time nearly six days after the detection of the first case. Her absence from the first meeting of the parliamentary Agriculture Committee following the outbreak in the free areas reinforced the perception that political responsibility was not being taken.
Her decisions have not satisfied members of parliament. Several MPs have publicly called for her resignation.
Questions have also been raised about whether the minister warned the President that any request for an exemption from EU regulations could place Cyprus at risk.
Confusion within veterinary services
The conduct of the director of the State Veterinary Services, Christodoulos Pipi, has also come under scrutiny.
During a session of the parliamentary Agriculture Committee he faced strong criticism over what lawmakers described as contradictory statements.
At one point he answered negatively when asked whether the decision in the occupied areas not to cull animals and instead vaccinate them increases the risk to the free areas.
Later in the same discussion he stated, “Did I tell you that vaccination in the occupied areas is effective?”
His absence from last week’s meeting of the Agriculture Committee, as well as from a press conference held by representatives of the Veterinary Services, also raised eyebrows.
Political reaction
The commissioner’s refusal to allow uninfected animals on affected farms to be spared triggered sharp reactions from political parties.
House Speaker and president of the Democratic Rally party Annita Demetriou described the situation as tragic and said the government must accept responsibility and speak honestly to livestock farmers.
She accused the government of creating false expectations, noting that according to the European commissioner the authorities had been aware of the EU protocols since December and that no deviation from them was possible.
Meanwhile the secretary general of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou, called on the President to convene a meeting of political leaders together with agricultural organisations immediately.
Stefanou warned that mass culling of animals would have devastating consequences for Cyprus’ livestock population and for the wider economy.
The impact, he said, would be felt not only by farmers but across society.
