€ 10 million advance payments for the eradication of avian influenza in the Netherlands - EU - The European Commission today decided to pay an advance of € 10 million to the Netherlands to reinburse compensation paid to farmers for losses they occurred during the avian influenza epidemic in the first half of 2003.

The EU contribution to this compensation is 50%. Farmers have been compensated for animals killed and eggs destroyed. Compensation is also paid for the costs of destruction of carcasses, eggs, contaminated feedingstuff and equipment and the cleaning and desinfection of holdings.

In total, more than 25 million poultry units have been killed and 130 million eggs destroyed in the Netherlands during this epidemic.

The final and total amount of the EU contribution to the Netherlands will only be fixed after the Netherlands have introduced their official and final claims and after the Commission has carried out financial and veterinary inspections in the Netherlands.

Source: European Commission - 24th September 2003