October 19, 2004

EU May Consider Lifting UK Beef Ban in 2005
 

The European Union may consider lifting a ban on imports of UK beef and cattle next year, provided the UK strengthens measures to reduce the threat of mad-cow disease in herds, the European Commission said.

"A proposal to lift the embargo might be foreseen in 2005, but this is dependent on progress on a range of issues'' including inspection and testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, according to the Brussels-based commission, the EU's executive arm.

BSE, a brain disease in cattle, was first diagnosed in British herds in 1986. It spread through the inclusion in cattle feed of meat and bone meal from animal carcasses, and reached 36,680 cases at the peak of the UK epidemic in 1992.

Before the epidemic, the UK exported as much 250 tons of beef worth 175 million pounds ($314 million) to France each year, which is its biggest market.

The EU permits the export of UK beef to the rest of the bloc only under strict conditions. UK abattoirs must separate the slaughter and processing of cattle for export, and remove their bones. Because of the strictness and the cost of compliance, only three UK abattoirs have an EU export license, according to the UK's Meat and Livestock Commission.

EU governments last month agreed to lift a similar embargo applied to Portugal in 1998. The commission said this followed evidence that the BSE incidence rate in Portugal was decreasing, and that "Portugal has adequately managed BSE risks.''

Commission data show that BSE is now more prevalent in Portuguese than British livestock. From January through July, 8.37 cases of BSE were found for every 10,000 tested cattle in Portugal, compared with 6.49 cases for the UK, according to the commission document.