BSE risk assessed in non-Member States
The Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) has published its opinion on the geographical risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in 13 non-EU countries. Countries were divided into three groups, according to the likelihood of their cattle having been infected with the BSE agent. The Committee concluded that it is highly unlikely that cattle infected with the BSE agent are present in domestic herds in Brazil and Singapore. They found it is unlikely but not excluded in the herds of India, Pakistan, Colombia and Mauritius and that BSE is likely to be present in the cattle herds of Albania, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic. The Committee noted that all Eastern, Central and Southern European countries examined have imported significant amounts of live cattle and meant-and-bone-meal (MBM) from EU countries where the presence of BSE has since been confirmed. It is therefore regarded as likely that their cattle herds were exposed to potentially BSE-contaminated feed and subsequently infected. The SSC highlighted that many of these countries have made significant improvements in their risk management over the past few months, but it will take time before such measures will result in an actual reduction of the risk level. Assessments of another series of third countries is ongoing and assessments are expected to be announced at the SSC meeting on 11 May. Around 20 countries which are authorised to export meat or meat products to the EU have thus far failed to submit a dossier for assessment. All such countries will be required to remove specific risk materials from their exports to the EU.