EU drops most foot-and-mouth restrictions on the export of British meat, animals
BRUSSELS - The European Commission said Tuesday it would ease restrictions on the movement of animals and animal products from Britain after an EU veterinary panel said last month's outbreak of food-and-mouth disease was now "fully contained."
11 September 2007
1 minute read
The EU head office said, however, that the expert panel decided to keep in place a trade ban for animals which had been within the zone where the outbreaks occurred, in Surrey county, southern England.
Other meat products or live animal exports from outside that zone will now be allowed to move freely within the 27-nation bloc.
"The foot-and-mouth disease situation in the UK is now considered to be fully contained," an EU statement said. It said there were no further outbreaks reported since the second case was confirmed on a farm within the initial infected zone on Aug. 7.
British authorities said faulty drains, construction work, heavy rain and vehicle movements at an animal health facility where workers handled live viruses probably led to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in southern England, according to an official report released last week.
