The European Commission said Tuesday it was setting up a veterinary expert team that could be deployed at short notice to respond to animal disease outbreaks such as bird flu in Europe or elsewhere.

An EU panel of national veterinary experts approved the plan, allowing the commission to go ahead and draft a list of team members from across the EU.

Experts will be drawn from the fields of laboratory testing, veterinary, virology, wildlife, risk management and other areas to be ready to move within 24 to 36 hours to affected areas, officials said.

EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said recent and past outbreaks of bird flu, swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease in the 27-nation bloc “highlighted the importance of having well-prepared, well-trained personnel available to provide their expertise in dealing with the problem