EU lifts export ban on British meat, livestock

European Union nations on Thursday agreed to lift the export ban on British meat and livestock, imposed due to a foot and mouth disease outbreak, except from a small zone around the affected farms.
"Exports of live animals, meat and dairy products will be able to resume from the territory of Great Britain," from Saturday, the European Commission said in a statement.
The only exception was a 10-kilometre (six-mile) containment zone surrounding the farms in Surrey in southeast England where the outbreak was first detected.
Britain's deputy chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg described the decision as an "excellent result for the United Kingdom reflecting the Commission and others' confidence in the control measures that we've implemented."
He hailed it as "a better decision that we hoped."
However the British exports will still be subject to "strict controls and veterinary supervision," according to the EU's executive arm.
"It's not business as usual," said European Commission spokesman Philip Tod after the meeting, adding that there must be a three-day notice period for exports and certification to ensure that the meat comes from outside the strict surveillance zone around infected farms.