US BSE decision welcomed by EU
It said the move was a “welcome, albeit late, step to abolish the unjustified ban” that would re-establish normal trading conditions.
The US market has been closed since January 1998 when a ban was imposed on EU beef on BSE grounds.
It will mean that EU beef and other bovine products will be allowed for export to the US.
Final BSE rule
US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the final rule, which will be published in the Federal Register and become effective 90 days after.
The US market has been closed to EU beef, including deboned beef, since 1997, when import restrictions on beef, sheep and goats and their products were brought in to tackle BSE concerns.
These measures went beyond the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) which says that deboned skeletal muscle beef is safe and can be freely traded from all countries, said the Commission.
USDA-APHIS said the regulation does not change other measures to safeguard against BSE.
“Human health is protected by measures that ensure the safety of US beef, the most important of which is the ban on cattle materials that have been shown to carry the BSE agent (known as specified risk materials) from the food supply,” said the agency.
Industry welcome
The decision was welcomed by industry bodies, including the American Meat Institute (AMI) and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
J. Patrick Boyle, AMI president and CEO, said it was a significant step forward to make US beef import regulations more consistent with international animal health standards.
“We have long said that having such a rule in place will show leadership on the global scale and believe it will enhance US trade and give USTR and USDA a stronger position to press other nations to follow the OIE's guidelines and adopt science-based BSE policies.
“Using internationally recognized science-based standards as the basis for trade facilitates exports and imports of meat and poultry products -- for the benefit of consumers and producers.”
When this rule is in effect, the US will use the same criteria and categories as the OIE to identify a country’s BSE risk status.
“The basis of these import regulations, set on internationally-accepted science and the OIE guidelines, is critical in showing that the US is committed to ensuring trade, unfettered by protectionist motivations, and sends a clear message to our trading partners of the value we place on fair trade,” said Scott George, NCBA president and Cody, Wyo. Cattleman.
