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From: TSS ()
Date: October 12, 2005 Time: 13:15 The Government today began a consultation on expected changes to UK legislation to lift the EU ban on the export of beef, bovine products and live cattle. The consultation also deals with consequential changes to controls on Specified Risk Materials (SRM). The timing of lifting the export ban remains uncertain. The Government cannot be sure whether or when the European Commission and EU Member States will agree to lift the ban but this is unlikely to happen before February 2006 at the earliest. The Commission would first need to make a proposal to lift the ban to Member States who would then need to agree the proposal. The Government is continuing to work in Brussels to ensure that the export ban is lifted as soon as possible. The consultation is being issued in advance of a Commission proposal so that the UK is ready to amend our domestic UK legislation as soon as possible if and after EU legislation is amended. When the ban is lifted, the UK expects to be able to export beef and bovine products from cattle born after July 1996 on the same basis as other EU member States. The UK would also be able to export live cattle born after July 1996 on the same basis as other Member States. Cattle born or reared in the UK before August 1996 will remain permanently excluded from the food chain. The SRM changes mainly affect vertebral column and head meat. When the export ban is lifted, the UK will need to come into line with controls that apply in other Member States. This will mean that for a new sector of the UK cattle population, that is for all cattle slaughtered when they are aged over 24 months to 30 months, the vertebral column must be removed and destroyed as SRM. Currently, the UK does not have to remove vertebral column except in cattle aged over 30 months. About 50% of UK cattle are currently slaughtered for human consumption aged less than 24 months. Arrangements for cattle aged 24 months or less would be unaffected by a change in the SRM age threshold. The vertebral column of cattle aged over 30 months would continue to be removed in licensed cutting plants but the consultation seeks views on whether the UK should allow vertebral column from cattle aged 24 - 30 months also to be removed in specifically authorised butcher's shops. This would enable butchers to continue to bone out beef from cattle of this age in their shops. The other significant expected change is that the UK would again be allowed to remove meat from the heads of cattle for human consumption. Views are also sought on whether the UK should allow this to take place in specifically authorised cutting plants as well as in abattoirs. NOTES TO EDITORS 1. In 1995, the last full year before exports were banned, the UK exported almost 250,000 tonnes of beef and bovine products valued at £600 million. The UK also exported 450,000 live cattle valued at £78 million. 2. EU rules require vertebral column to be removed in licensed cutting plants but permit Member States if they wish to allow vertebral column also to be removed in specifically authorised butchers shops. A requirement to remove vertebral column only in cutting plants could have an adverse effect on those who produce slower maturing grass fed cattle, particularly from traditional breeds, and on small abattoirs as well as craft butchers. The consultation seeks views about whether the provision in EU legislation allowing for removal in authorised butcher's shops should be adopted for cattle aged 24 - 30 months. 3. In line with the recommendations of the FSA's Independent Advisory Group on the robustness of a BSE testing system to replace the Over Thirty Months (OTM) rule, the vertebral column of cattle aged over 30 months will be removed only in cutting plants. 4. Currently the entire head of cattle aged over six months is defined as SRM and must be destroyed but this requirement would change to reflect the UK's improved BSE risk status. Head meat could again be sold for human consumption. The skull including the brain and eyes would remain SRM for cattle aged over 12 months of age. The consultation also seeks views on whether the UK should require head meat be removed in slaughterhouses or should make use of a similar provision in EU law that enables a member state to decide to allow removal in specifically authorised cutting plants. 5. Other changes to SRM controls include that spinal cord would be SRM in cattle over 12 months of age (currently SRM in cattle over 6 months) and trigeminal ganglia, thymus and spleen would no longer be classified as SRM. 6. BSE was first identified in the UK in 1986. More than 183,000 cases have been confirmed in the UK to date, of which more than 95% were detected before 2000. The epidemic peaked at an annual total of more than 37,000 clinical cases in 1992 and the number of new clinical cases is currently at the lowest level since recording began. There were 90 clinical and 253 cases detected through testing in 2004, the vast majority in cattle born before August 1996. The UK's reinforced feed controls which banned mammalian meat and bone meal from feed for all farmed livestock, effective from 1 August 1996, have led to a particularly sharp fall in BSE cases in cattle born after July 1996. 7. Copies if the consultation documents are available at ww.defra.gov.uk Public enquiries 08459 335577; End Nobel House http://www.wired-gov.net/WGLaunch.aspx?ARTCL=34505&ALERT_TYPE=15 Weekly Statistics Passive (14 KB) (15 KB) (14 KB) Further monthly statistics are available in BSE: Monthly Report on Measures Taken by the UK, which can be accessed on the Publications page. Tables Overview of the decline in the epidemic (30 KB) (15 KB) (20 KB) Quarterly Statistics (91 KB)
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