Brussels extends export ban again

27 March 2001



Brussels extends export ban again

By Philip Clarke, Europe editor

BRUSSELS has again extended the ban on meat and livestock exports from Great Britain. But restrictions on Northern Ireland may be partially lifted.

The European Union Standing Veterinary Committee decided on Tuesday (27 March) to prolong the ban on exports from Great Britain until 19 April.

The ban was due to expire next Wednesday (4 April). But a resumption of exports on that date was never likely as the foot-and-mouth crisis worsened.

However, exports of meat, milk and dairy products may be allowed to resume from most of Northern Ireland from next Tuesday (3 April), the vets decided.

The relaxation of controls depends on there being no further cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the province during the next seven days.

“Northern Ireland can now move towards being treated as a separate region of the UK in relation to foot-and-mouth,” said agriculture minister Brid Rogers.

“Producers and processors can now plan to begin again to export the full range of their goods throughout the EU,” she added.

“This represents an enormous marketing opportunity.”

But Douglas Rowe, president of the Ulster Farmers Union, expressed dismay that the export ban was not being lifted immediately.

“The EU commission has granted regionalisation for France, Holland and the Republic of Ireland within hours of these countries reporting first cases.

“Local farmers will be furious at clearly being treated with less urgency.”

Mr Rowe also regretted that export restrictions would stay in place even longer for farmers in the Newry and Mourne, the district around the Meigh case.

So far, only one outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed in Northern Ireland – on a farm in Meigh in South Armagh on 1 March.

But the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture cant apply for restrictions to be lifted until 30 days after the case in Meigh has expired.

Before any exports can resume, the authorities have to complete a new cull of all sheep within and between two 3km radius zones.

One zone is centred on the Meigh outbreak and the other around nearby Proleek in the Republic of Ireland, which has also had a case of the disease.