22/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - China could re-open its market to EU beef. On the sidelines of a trade visit to China, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan, who was leading a delegation of agri-food company representatives, said that the main EU beef-producing countries might be able to resume their exports to China at the end of the year. These beef exports have been blocked for the last 16 years due to mad cow disease. Chinese inspectors are soon expected to visit France, the Netherlands, the UK, Belgium and Italy, Hogan told the Irish Times. They were in Ireland back in January, with Beijing and Dublin reviewing the final technical details of an agreement. Hogan continued his trade visit to Japan, where a meeting of G7 agriculture ministers is due to be held on 23-24 April. (LC)