The last overseas export barrier for European beef has fallen. The barriers date back to the epidemic of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), better known as “mad cow disease”. The restrictions, which went beyond the requirements of international parameters, were in force since 1998.
With the decision, that has been expected since 2005, the USA aligns its standards to those of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and opens its doors to European beef, even deboned cuts. The announcement follows that of May 2013 when the health risks related to BSE were officially lowered, and non-tariff barriers for food and agriculture products were eased as a part of negotiations between the USA and the EU on a transatlantic free trade agreement.
In spite of reassurances from the OIE, restrictions on beef from the EU related to BSE are still adopted in some countries, including Japan
