Britain asks EU to ease meat export restrictions

TEMPORARY livestock price boosts due to the British foot and mouth outbreak may start to disappear today, if Britain succeeds with a request to fellow EU member states to allow exports of meat from all but the restricted area where foot and mouth disease was found on August 3.

It is hoped the EU’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health will today “regionalise” the ban, by designating most of Britain a “low-risk” area.

The European Commission executive arm of the EU is recommending regionalisation as soon as possible.