(SOFIA) - The European Commission on Tuesday lifted a ban on Bulgarian pork imports imposed in 2006 following outbreaks of swine fever in the Balkan country, the national veterinary service said.

Experts from the European Commission's Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs visited Bulgaria in late June and concluded that it "has made considerable progress in containing and eradicating the swine fever virus," the service said in a statement.

This prompted the Commission to lift the ban and allow Bulgaria to export live pigs and pork products to the EU and third countries, it added.

The European Commission imposed the ban in November 2006, following several outbreaks of swine fever, a contagious animal disease, in Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania.

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