Beef cattle – Photo by John Comloquoy
(WASHINGTON) – The United States has lifted a ban on imports of beef from France, representing another step on the reopening of a market which has been closed since the 1990s BSE epidemic.
The European Commission has welcomed the decision, which follows similar decisions as regards imports from Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands.
“This further illustrates that the European Union’s efforts to eradicate BSE from its territory have been successful”, it said in a statement.
It said “this is wonderful news for French producers, and the Commission will continue to work with all the parties concerned to make sure that, in the near future, all Member States have the same access to the American market.”
The American market has been closed to beef from the EU since January 1998, when the United States introduced restrictions on the import of bovine, ovine and caprine meat following the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic.
These restrictions were even harsher than the recommendations of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and European beef is now considered safe for consumers.
