EU sets date for return of UK meat exports

British beef and lamb exports are set to resume on October 12 – as long as there are no more foot-and-mouth outbreaks beyond an existing 200km high-risk area in Surrey.

The decision was taken today by EU veterinary experts from the 27 member states, although the whole of Great Britain would remain a “high-risk” category area with strict conditions surrounding the consumption of meat exports from most of the country.

British officials in Brussels immediately welcomed the decision as good news for farmers, but emphasised the plan will not go ahead if there are fresh foot-and-mouth outbreaks outside the 200km cordon between now and Friday of next week.

``The proposal to amend the foot-and-mouth restrictions for certain parts of Great Britain will be finally adopted only if there are no further outbreaks outside a 200km area around the surveillance zone in Surrey, and under strict conditions'', explained a European Commission spokesman.

If exports do resume as planned, strict animal health rules will apply. For 30 days before slaughter, the animals earmarked for export will have to be kept on the same farm, and for 21 days before they are moved, there must have been no new “susceptible livestock” brought on to the holding.

At the slaughterhouse animals providing meat for export must be killed immediately with inspections before and after death to identify any signs of foot-and-mouth disease.

Finally the meat would have to be held in quarantine for 24 hours, and then only exported if there is no suspicion of disease at the farm of origin.

Meanwhile, the EU vets – the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health – also agreed today to maintain all existing foot-and-mouth disease protection measures in the UK until at least November 15.