On 22 June 2026, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its 16th annual assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance reports, confirming that Finland, Ireland, the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and Norway have fulfilled all technical legal requirements under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772. None of the four countries recorded positive samples during the 12-month reporting period, maintaining their eligibility for preventive health measures for dogs entering their territories.
The assessment, conducted by EFSA's Biological Hazards & Animal Health and Welfare Unit (BIOHAW), evaluates surveillance programmes submitted by these countries each year since 2012. The evaluation covers four categories: type and sensitivity of detection methods, selection of target population, sampling strategy, and methodology. All four countries used appropriate techniques for detecting E. multilocularis in intestinal contents or faeces, designed sampling strategies capable of detecting the parasite at a design prevalence of less than 1% with 95% confidence, and selected appropriate wild definitive hosts. Malta, which is exempted from surveillance due to the absence of wild red foxes, was not included in the assessment.
The report notes that E. multilocularis, the fox tapeworm causing human alveolar echinococcosis (AE), is considered an emerging parasite in Europe, with recent human cases detected in Hungary and Croatia. The disease, if untreated, can be fatal in over 90% of cases within 10–15 years of diagnosis. The surveillance programmes are mandated under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772, which supplements Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 on the movement of pet animals. The European Commission and the EFTA Surveillance Authority requested the assessment under Article 31 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002.
The report's findings have direct implications for public health and animal health stakeholders. For EU and EFTA citizens, the continued absence of the parasite in these countries reduces the risk of human AE, a serious zoonotic disease. For pet owners and the pet travel industry, the maintained eligibility allows dogs from these countries to enter other EU member states without additional preventive health measures, facilitating movement and trade. For national veterinary authorities in the four reporting countries, the positive assessment validates their surveillance efforts but requires continued investment in monitoring infrastructure. For the European Commission, the report provides scientific assurance that the delegated regulation's objectives are being met, supporting the harmonised approach to disease control across the EU.