On Tuesday 10 October, the European Commission announced the lifting of restrictions to market access in Taiwan for beef from the Netherlands and Sweden. It also announced the lifting of restrictions to market access in Japan for beef from Austria.
Like most EU beef producers, Dutch, Swedish and Austrian cattle farmers were hit with bans affecting some of Asia's largest export markets following the BSE (mad cow disease) crisis of the 1990s.
The Commission states that the opening of the Taiwanese and Japanese markets to beef from the aforementioned countries is effective immediately and is the result of a joint effort of the EU member state authorities and the European Commission to engage in a dialogue over several years to explain the EU's comprehensive, multi-layered control systems that meet the highest standards.
This dialogue will be continued with Taiwan and Japan in order to widen the opening of their markets and allow access also to other EU member states that are still affected by the Taiwanese and Japanese restrictions.
The Commission hails the move of the Taiwanese and Japanese authorities, which sends "a positive signal" to other Asian authorities to follow their example, and to bring their import conditions into line with international standards and allow EU beef to enter their markets. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)