Poland wants fence on Belarusian border 30 17.07.2013, 12:10

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Poland wants to follow Lithuania's example and build a 420km fence on the border with Belarus.

Poland proposes to build fencing on the border with Belarus. A 420km wire fence would protect Poland and the EU from wild boars that can spread the African swine fever virus. Poland hopes the project will be partially financed by the EU, rmf24.pl reports.

Polish veterinary service sent a letter to Brussels asking to the EU to fund the fight against the ASF spread. The country wants to install a wire fence along the Belarusian border, collect and examine samples at farms and install vehicle disinfection systems. Brussels remains sceptical about the fence on the Polish-Belarusian border. European Commission spokesman Frederic Vincent said the Commission must check if the construction of hundreds of kilometres of fencing was possible.

Lithuania proposed more radical measures recently. The country wants to create a buffer zone on the border. Brussels declined the proposal calling it excessive.

The idea of border fencing to stop animal migration is not a new one. Bulgaria installed wire fencing on the border with Turkey three years ago to stop foot-and-mouth disease. Experts says the measure was successful. However, the Polish-Belarusian border is longer and more complex topographically.