June 15, 2005

Netherlands seeks to ease tough mad cow policies
 

The Netherlands has brought mad cow disease or BSE under control and is thus seeking to ease its tough mad cow control policies.

According to the Dutch government, the number of animals testing positive for the disease had fallen sharply in the country, one of the world's largest meat and dairy exporters.

Public health or food safety would not be under threat with the easing of measures, because mad cow disease has been effectively contained after strict measures were adopted in the last decade. The number of infected cows fell from 24 in 2002 to six last year.

Any change in proposals has yet to be detailed and discussed, and Holland would seek to review mad cow measures at a EU level, the government said.