Brussels, 10/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health is discussing the matter of contamination of German cereals used mistakenly to feed "bio" label chickens , mainly in Lower Saxony, by a herbicide (Nitrofen) (see EUROPE of 7 June, p.12). The European Commission was not able to say, on Monday, whether the Community restrictions (for example, ban on exports of poultry meat from the regions concerned) would be subject to the appreciation of Member State veterinarians, but one of its spokespersons declared that the latest information provided by Germany was "for now vague and contradictory". The Commission was also to examine the voluminous report that was forwarded to it on Friday by the German authorities. The meeting must also find a Community response to this problem in order to prevent unilateral decisions being taken by some countries such as that, taken this weekend by Belgium, to impose an embargo on German cereals intended for food or feed. The Belgian Health Minister, Magda Alvoet, explained that the Netherlands, Denmark and France are preparing to do the same, which should force the Commission to propose measures.