2013 saw the launch of Ireland’s compulsory programme for the eradication and control of BVD. When I begin my profession as a veterinary practitioner I feel that the knowledge and insights I will have gained from this research will be of great assistance to me. In particular I believe that my research into the wide variety of approaches and initiatives implemented in different European countries and the results of those programmes will be of real practical benefit. The control and eradication programmes carried out in the Scandinavian countries have been shown to be highly successful. Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark are today recognised as BVD free countries. Initially these programmes were commenced on a voluntary basis but compulsory schemes were put in place over time. The first section of my thesis reviews the general information about BVD-MD (Bovine viral diarrhoea- mucosal disease) addressing, inter alia, the classifications of BVD infection, the routes of transmission, the economic costs of the disease and an overview of control and eradication measures. The second section provides a detailed analysis of the European BVD situation. I examine the control initiatives taken in those countries which have successfully achieved BVD-free status. I then review the control and eradication initiatives in countries which have yet to be declared BVD-free and which have adopted a compulsory approach to the eradication of the disease. Finally I look at those BVD infected countries that have opted for a voluntary approach. The final section of my thesis describes the diagnostic techniques available for the detection of the presence of BVD. Effective testing methods are critical to ensure that a control and eradication programme achieves its full potential.