Brussels, 16/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday evening, the Standing Veterinary Committee of the European Union (SVC) authorised reopening of the EU's market for almost all imports of Argentinean beef. From 1 February, imports towards the EU of deboned and maturated fresh bovine meat may resume for the whole of the country, except the provinces of La Pampa and Santiago del Estero. On 13 March, the EU had imposed an embargo on beef and veal from Argentina after outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (see EUROPE of 15 March, p.11).
The above two provinces remain subject to the ban as outbreaks occurred less than 60 days ago, unlike those discovered on the rest of the territory. Two inspection missions from the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) were carried out in Argentina to examine the epidemiological situation and to assess the effectiveness of measures for controlling the epizootic (mainly vaccination of herds). The veterinary authorities in Argentina took the necessary health measures to conform to the main observations of European experts, and confirmed that the epizootic had been eradicated from the whole of the country, except in the two above-mentioned provinces. In addition, a second vaccination programme was set in place at the end of the year 2001. During a meeting held on 11 January, the Argentinean authorities provided complementary information and gave guarantees allowing for lifting of the ban to be envisaged for deboned and correctly treated meat from regions where there has been no foot and mouth outbreak for a period of 60 days.
More than half of the commercial value of exports from Argentina is made through sales on the Community market (EUR 259 million out of nearly EUR 600 million in total, according to 2000 figures). The EU assigns Argentina's top grade beef the so-called "Hilton quota" which is revised annually every June. "We will have access to our Hilton quota so producers will have to work hard to fill that quota up to June", said sources close to the Argentinean government.