Since 1994, measures have been in place in the EU to protect human and animal health from BSE These have mainly consisted of the removal of certain organs and parts of cattle (Specified Risk Materials ^[5]) before human consumption and of a ban on giving feed contaminated with animal proteins to animals (“total feed ban” ^[6]). BSE monitoring which is the subject of this assessment was set up to assist risk managers mainly in monitoring the evolution of BSE in cattle and thus in assessing the effectiveness of the risk management measures in place.

EFSA was asked by the European Commission to prepare an opinion in order to inform EU risk managers (European Commission, European Parliament and EU Member States) on possible changes to the monitoring regime in the EU 15. An additional question was received from Belgium which extended the scope of this work and which was the subject of a separate opinion. The Panel evaluated BSE monitoring data which had been collected between 2001 and 2007.

The Panel also said that an age limit of 48 months in cattle “at risk” would allow for the detection of a majority of cases, if BSE were to re-emerge. The Panel added however that testing at 24 months for cattle “at risk” would provide an increased sensitivity in detecting a possible re-emergence of BSE and should also allow for an optimised system for early and efficient detection in case a new type of TSE should emerge in cattle.

The Belgian question to EFSA also asked what number of cases would be missed if the EU 15 stopped testing cattle born after 31/12/2003, which is approximately 3 years after the “total feed ban” was introduced. EFSA’s BIOHAZ Panel replied that amongst those animals born in a given year in the EU 15, fewer than 6 cases would be expected to be missed.

The Panel said that it is uncertain whether the current BSE surveillance system provides reliable data on the prevalence of Atypical BSE, as there are uncertainties surrounding the sensitivity and specificity of current tests in relation to this form of BSE. As no Atypical BSE cases have been detected to date in animals younger than 96 months, raising the age for testing from the present 24 or 30 months up to 60 or 84 months would not have a major impact on the detection of Atypical BSE.