The European Union on Thursday lifted a ban on exports of British livestock, meat and dairy products imposed after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in southeastern England, with the exception of a small zone around the infected farms, AP reported. The ban, imposed earlier this month, will remain in effect in a 10-kilometer (6-mile) surveillance zone around the two cattle farms in the county of Surrey, but products from elsewhere in Britain can be exported under strict conditions as of Saturday after the crisis eased, the EU executive said. «This is a very good outcome for the U.K. There was a unanimous decision,» deputy chief U.K. veterinarian Fred Landeg said after a meeting of EU veterinary experts. Landeg said he hoped the results of an investigation into the source of the infection currently under way would be published «in the next few days.» «This is a contained outbreak. We believe ... the risk of finding any further disease is very low,» Landeg said. In London, Prime Minister Gordon Brown praised the quick reactions of the authorities and farmers, but also said Britain was determined to «learn a lesson» from the incident. The disease, first confirmed Aug. 3, struck two cattle farms 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of London and sparked worries of a repeat of a major 2001 outbreak, when 7 million animals were slaughtered and British meat was shut out of world markets for months. The disease affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cows, sheep, pigs and goats. Around 600 animals have been slaughtered as a result of the latest outbreak. The European Commission said veterinary experts from the 27 EU member states expressed support for the control measures taken by British authorities to contain the disease. They said the «strict and immediate» provisions helped curb the outbreak. «In accordance with the new decision ... trade in live animals and their products from most of the U.K. will be possible, subject to strict controls and veterinary supervision, from Aug. 25,» a commission statement said. All of Britain had been classified as a «high-risk» zone for livestock and product exports at the request of British authorities. Farmers have said the trade ban was costing them close to 2 million pounds (¤2.94 million; US$3.96 million) a day in lost income. Exports from Northern Ireland had not been affected. «We do not yet know the full economic effect of the outbreak, but we know it was confined to just a few hundred animals, so the cost was relatively small. But of course there has been effect on our export trade,» Landeg said. A protection zone was set up around the two farms where the disease broke out Aug. 3 and 7, and movement of animals has been restricted. The restrictions on trade in animals from the 3-kilometer (1.9-mile) protection zone and the 10-kilometer (6-mile) surveillance zone will remain in place for three months from the last outbreak, after which Britain will be declared foot and mouth-free, EU spokesman Philip Tod said. The veterinary committee is slated to meet again on Sept. 11 to review the situation, he said.
