The core conflict stems from the European Union protocol applied by France, requiring the elimination of an entire herd upon detection of a single DNC case. This measure is considered devastating, ending years of breeding and care work for the livestock.
“"If we have one sick calf, they kill everything. We cannot tolerate this; we must proceed case by case."
Agricultural unions, such as Coordination Rurale (CR), accuse the Ministry of Agriculture, led by Annie Genevard, of mismanagement and demand widespread vaccination. Protests have involved blocking key routes like the A9 motorway in Narbonne and the A61 toll in Carcassonne. As of December 14, 113 outbreaks have been declared in France, with Northern Catalonia being one of the most affected departments (21 outbreaks).
Following the protests, the French Government announced a vaccination campaign targeting 750,000 cattle in risk zones. Meanwhile, in Southern Catalonia, the situation is improving: restrictions will be lifted in Cassà de la Selva on December 26, and the outbreak in Castelló d'Empúries will be considered over on January 8, after containing 17 foci detected since October 3.
