Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on calf exports from the UK to other EU countries. [102216]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 13 December 1999]Exports of all live bovine animals from the UK remain prohibited under EU law.
Further relaxation of the ban to permit the export of live bovines is foreseen in the Florence agreement. However negotiations relating to the lifting of the ban in respect of boneless beef have been by no means easy. The Government will need to consider carefully when the time is right to seek to open negotiations on the next stages of the Florence agreement.