DISINFECTION OF VEHICLES AT THE BULGARIAN BORDER CHECKPOINTS FOR THE YEARS 2021-2022 - POSITIVES AND IMPERFECTIONS. LITERATURE REVIEW AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Keywords:
appropriateness of disinfection, live animals, animal products, motor vehicles, border crossings points, bioterrorismAbstract
This review was prepared to assess the appropriateness of disinfecting the of motor vehicles passing through the border control posts (BCPs) and Control Points (CPs) of the Republic of Bulgaria for the time period 2021-2022.
We reviewed available legal and scientific sources, and performed an analysis on the additional information provided by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency and the epizootic situation in the world, Europe, and the Mediterranean basin.
Preventive disinfection as a biosecurity measure is of paramount importance to the Republic of Bulgaria due to the country's geographical position as an external border of the European Union.
Taking into consideration that pursuant to Article 4 Article 43, Article 47(1), and Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, the BFSA, as the single competent authority for performing official controls and other official activities along the entire agri-food chain in the Republic of Bulgaria, organizes and carries out official controls and other official activities upon the entry into EU territory of animals and goods of animal origin, originating from third countries, and that pursuant to Article 190 of the Law on Veterinary Activity, upon the declaration of an epizootic situation, motor vehicles entering the country are subject to preventive disinfection at border control posts.
Having the review of appropriateness of motor vehicles disinfection at BCPs of the Republic of Bulgaria for years 2021-2022 it could be said that the European Transport Corridor No. 10 is a primary high-risk route for livestock and agricultural products’ entry and transit, while Corridors 4, 8, and 9 present secondary or context-specific risks. It could be concluded that land border BCPs handle for 2021 – 2022 the vast majority of official veterinary and phytosanitary consignments passing through Bulgaria, with BCP Kapitan Andreevo acting as the single critical gateway for plant and food cargo entering the EU.
Given the high volume of transit haulage through active disease zones and the threat of intentional or unintentional contamination, maintaining mandatory motor vehicle chassis and wheel disinfection at land borders remains an essential biosecurity safeguard for Bulgarian and EU agricultural security.
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