EU Relaxes Poultry Import Bans

BRUSSELS - Mar 30/04 - SNS -- The European Union (EU) relaxed restrictions on poultry imports from Canada and the United States, only leaving restrictions on imports from Texas and a part of British Columbia.

The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health today approved European Commission proposals to limit the suspension of imports of live poultry, poultry meat and products and eggs from the USA and Canada to the areas where the outbreaks of avian influenza occurred and a large surrounding buffer zone.

Import restrictions for the entire US and Canadian territory were imposed after the confirmation of high pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in the two countries. However, the current disease situation and available information now allow a reduction of the protective measures to a confined area. For the USA, the import restrictions are now limited to the State of Texas and for Canada to a part of the province of British Columbia.

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