The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, through the technical expertise in its Secretariat and team provides a significant contribution to the overall FAO effort against this extremely important transboundary animal disease.

The history of the Commission might be considered as comprising three distinct periods:

From 1954 to 1989 - the Commission was established in post-war Europe when frequent and severe FMD outbreaks were a significant impediment to intensive livestock production. One of the key roles of EuFMD during this period was to coordinate mass annual vaccination campaigns across continental Europe. This concerted effort was ultimately successful in allowing most member countries to become FMD-free. 

From 1990 to 2010s - this period opened with many members questioning the need to retain an active Commission with a permanent Secretariat at FAO now that most of Europe had achieved the status of FMD-free without vaccination (as those member countries that were also members of the European Community discontinued FMD vaccination). However, the ever-present risk of incursion from neighboring regions where FMD was still endemic (into a population that was now becoming immunologically naïve), the continuing evolution of new viral strains and political instability in the Balkans and in Eastern Europe were considered sufficient reasons to retain a technical secretariat and to redefine the priorities of EuFMD. The Commission would now focus on enhancing surveillance in at risk areas and the emergency preparedness of FMD-free member countries.

From the 2010s to the present - the Commission expanded the breadth and depth of its FMD control activities, with a commensurate increase in the financial and human resources of the Secretariat. This included capacity building and enhanced emergency preparedness in members and neighboring countries through the provision of real-time training and virtual learning courses and the development and deployment of tools and systems to assist veterinary services in assessing and managing risk. In addition, EuFMD made a substantial contribution to Global FMD control in collaboration with other business units in FAO and with other international organizations such as the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). This culminated in Member Nations deciding to revise the constitution of EuFMD in 2022, extending the mandate of the Commission to include the control of other transboundary animal diseases (TADs) in Member Nations - the FAST diseases are Peste des Petits Ruminants, lumpy skin disease, sheep pox and goat pox, and Rift Valley fever.