European Union veterinary experts agreed today to declare the United Kingdom free of foot-and-mouth disease and allow all exports of British meat, dairy and live animals.
An EU embargo on live animals from Surrey in England - where the disease outbreak occurred in July - remains in effect until November 9th.
The EU banned all livestock, meat and dairy products from Britain after the first outbreak. However following no further outbreaks, the EU executive said on August 23rd it would let all of Britain, except part of the county of Surrey, resume exports of live animals, meat and dairy products to other EU countries.
"The foot and mouth disease (FMD) situation in the UK is now considered to be fully contained, with no further outbreaks since the second case was reported on a farm within the Surrey protection zone on August 7th," the Commission said in a statement today.
The EU Commission added that it "will carry out inspections" in the laboratories in Pirbright where the outbreak is said to have originated, including a lab owned by US pharmaceutical firm Merck.