Ukraine and the European Commission have reached agreement on taking joint measures to counter the spreading of African swine fever onto the territory of Ukraine and the European Union member states, according to a statement made by the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service and reported by Ukrainian News.

"We, jointly wit the European Commission, have commenced work on creation of a control zone to avoid and suppress spreading of the virus onto the Ukrainian and, of course, the European territory," the press service quotes Agrarian Policy and Food Supplies Minister, Mykola Prysiazhniuk as saying.

Mr Prysiazhniuk says that during a meeting with EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Ciolos, they reached agreement on stepping up control over movements of animal products, grain from the Russian territory affected by African swine fever, and also control over migration of wild animals.

"This is a big complex of measures. We are taking them on our own, but if unite efforts, experience and financial resources, we will be able to strengthen this control. And the European Union has almost joined this control," he added.

The minister recalled that Ukraine has already taken prevention, protection and prohibition measures to avert the African swine fever virus from the Ukrainian territory.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service in early June banned importation of pigs as well as products and raw materials from them from the Central District of Russia.

African swine fever is very dangerous, highly contagious, and has no symptoms. No effective treatments are available for infected animals, and no vaccines are available to prevent infection. The only method of prevention is destruction of pigs within a 20-kilometre radius of the source of an infection. ASF virus poses no threat to humans.