Brussels, 25/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - The EU standing committee on the food chain and animal health issued a recommendation, on Thursday 24 May, for new rules of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on the classification of countries according to the risk of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) to be taken into account. The OIE recently decided on the new simplified procedure for categorising countries under one of three headings - negligible BSE risk, controlled BSE risk and underdetermined BSE risk. Under each of these categories, different conditions are placed on countries for their exports. Under the OIE criteria, the 'controlled risk' category includes the 27 EU member states, the United States, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Taiwan. From 1 July 2007 onwards, the EU will have to respect OIE rules on BSE risks, when the EU four category system runs out on 30 June 2007. (lc)