EU To Allow Limited
Export Of Brit Beef

BRUSSELS, Belgium —(AP)— The European Union Commission said last week it will ease the ban on British beef exports this week, allowing the export of Northern Irish beef certified to be free of so-called "mad cow" disease.

The decision by the EU's Executive Commission cleared the way for the first exports of British beef in more than two years.

In March 1996, the Commission banned the export of British beef after the announcement of a possible link between the mad cow disease in British beef and a fatal human brain ailment.

The scope of last week’s decision was relatively narrow. It covered only meat from animals killed in one particular slaughterhouse and meat processed in one particular meat cutting plant in Northern Ireland.

Of the 10 slaughterhouses and 35 meat plants in Northern Ireland, only two have put themselves forward for inspection under a so-called British certified herds beef export plan.

The plan was approved by EU farm ministers in mid-March. It allows the export as of June 1 of Northern Irish beef from animals between six and 30 months old and from herds with no history of mad cow for at least eight years.

During the past two months, the Commission has completed inspections and confirmed eligible slaughterhouses and plants under the plan.

Northern Ireland is the only region in the United Kingdom covered by the plan because it's the only region with a comprehensive computerized cattle identification system.

Separately, the Commission is preparing a proposal to allow the export of beef from cattle in Britain born after Aug. 1, 1996.

The so-called date-based beef export scheme would allow the export of British beef from animals born after Britain banned the use of cattle and sheep remains in animal feed and prohibited farms from even holding those remains.

Mad cow disease is believed to have spread through infected animal feed. Britain has reported the vast majority of mad cow cases in Europe.