Brussels, 12/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health has supported a Commission proposal to further lift the measures still being applied to Argentina because of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. Representatives from Member States gave the green light for imports of bone-in ovine, caprine and bovine fresh meat from Patagonia (the provinces of Chubut, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego and the part of Rio Negro south of the 42nd parallel). The clarification of the epidemiological situation in this area by Argentina and the OIE (Office International des Epizooties) proposal that these provinces should be granted the status of "FMD free without vaccination" means that the formal adoption of this decision is imminent. Imports of deboned and maturated fresh bovine meat continues to be authorised from other zones in the country.