http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3943977.stm UK beef restrictions 'must end' ----------------------------- The government must do more to end "outrageous" restrictions on the export of British beef, the Conservatives say. The UK no longer has the highest amount of BSE in Europe but it is the only country with limitations on exports. A ban ended five years ago, but strict traceability rules mean only a tiny amount of British beef goes abroad. The government says it has an "action plan" to get restrictions lifted, but the Tories say it must put more pressure on Brussels. Meat and Livestock Commission claims the level of BSE in the UK has been reduced to one in every 10,000 cattle. In Portugal, the figure is one in 7,000, it says, but almost all the restrictions on exports from that country were lifted last month. Conservative environment spokesman Tim Yeo called on the government to step up pressure on the EU to get the restrictions lifted. "I want to know how much longer our beef producers are going to be kept waiting by a series of bureaucrats with no proper health or other justifications for preventing exports from returning," he told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme. He said ministers should also ensure any flaws in the traceability system are "ironed out". But, he added, this should not be used as an excuse to ban exports. In a statement, agriculture minister Lord Whitty said: "Clinical cases of BSE are declining at a rate of around 60% a year. "Our priority is to be able to export beef on the same basis as other member states. "Our beef controls were inspected by the EU veterinary office earlier this year, which said it wanted to see improvements in our cattle tracing system. "We have produced an action plan and are working hard to make these improvements." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- So British beef is one of the safest in Europe, but because the British government admitted to havin a problem with BSE, restrictions were placed by the EU upon British exports of beef until it became one of the safest. Any even beyond this point. Just hope consumers from other countries feel as concerned for their own country's famers livelihood and their own health.
Hmmm. I think we should do more to promote the safety of British beef and spend less time worrying about the impact of "traceability rules". As things stand the biggest barrier to significant exports is not EU bureaucracy but the still wide-held perception that British beef is not fit for consumption. The Tories are barking up the wrong tree (again ) - lifting the restrictions will happen anyway, where the real effort needs to be concentrated is in vigorously promoting what is arguably the safest, most progressively reared and produced beef in the northern hemisphere.
Have to agree with you there Matt. That is the point of this post, as many other countries are suffering with BSE, but have gotten away with it to quite an extent. BSE was and has continued to be hidden and or/denied in other countries, including Germany and France. When you tell persons from such countries that they also have this problem with their cattle they look at you with utter disbelief. Again, the UK has been a victim of it's honesty. Which takes guts. And has had a largely successful campaign in stopping this. Can the same be said for other countries? At least the UK problem did bring this out into the open and made many other nations aware of this BSE problem. But when British beef is safer than exported Portugese beef, just makes you wonder to the degree that the politicians of other nations have really woken up to this.
Well I'm not sure about the "honest" and "guts" of our situation. The fact of the matter was that we had allowed standards to slip so dramatically that when an outbreak finally did hit us, it was catastrophic in scale and impact. We hardly had much choice in the amount of "honesty" we applied to the fact that hundreds of thousands of cattle were being slaughtered and burnt in every county of the land. Since then though, yes - it is true that many European nations have used our very high-profile problems with this issue to deflect attention away from their own lack of rigour in managing that aspect of their agricultural industry. France in particular is guilty of some quite appalling hygiene and due diligence transgressions.
When you know and admit to a problem, such as BSE pretty drastic action has to be made, which you outlined. Just a shame that no other country appears to have grappled with a problem and acted like the UK did. There is no other way. So the problem will contiinue to exist as long as politicians globally continue to deny a problem existing in their respective countries.