28/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission announced the return to normal of the frequency of sanitary checks carried out on beef imported from the United States. In April 1999, the Commission had decided to increase the checks to 100% of the samples taken from the tonnage imported, due to the presence of growth hormones in this meat. Since this reinforcing of checks, no new cases of hormone meat has been found. The American authorities have also intensified their checks which, last 8 March, where considered satisfactory by the Standing Veterinary Committee. The Commission then decided to lower the checks to 20%, the level usually applied to imports from third countries.