The decision of the EU Commission to declare the bulk of British beef fit for export could scarcely have been better timed for Mr Blair's government - on the virtual eve of today's Cardiff summit. It will still be some time before the worldwide ban on British beef is entirely lifted but there are, at the very least, the first stirrings that the crisis that has engulfed the British beef industry may be coming to an end. Representatives of the National Farmers' Union in Britain appear optimistic that what one termed the "huge weight which has burdened the farming community for over two years" may be lifted shortly. The EU Commission recommended that meat from cattle born after August 11th, 1996, was safe from BSE and fit to be exported. Britain has still to negotiate some difficult hurdles: the recommendation has yet to be endorsed by veterinary experts and farm ministers but it seems clear that a full resumption of British beef exports is likely before the end of this year - beef from Northern Ireland returned to world markets a fortnight ago.
The beef ban was imposed after British scientists found a potential link between BSE and new variant CJD, the fatal brain disease affecting humans. The sufferings of those affected by CJD and of their families can scarcely be imagined. From the farming perspective, the BSE episode has provided a painful and a salutary lesson for all concerned. The risks to public heath that were taken in the name of efficient modern farming, cheap food and maximised profits have proven very costly; Britain's beef trade was worth an estimated £6 billion per year before the ban took hold. The task of rebuilding consumer confidence in world markets is immense. It is to be hoped that the entire painful episode has had a therapeutic effect on the farming community and, indeed, on policy-makers. The BSE scare has at the very least helped to expose the symbiotic relationship that traditionally existed between government and the beef industry; a factor also evident in this State. In both Britain and here, government has now moved to place a greater distance between itself and the industry. There is a commendable, if overdue, emphasis on food safety, on the responsibilities of producers and on the interests of the consumer.
Experience in this State, where consumption of beef is returning to pre-BSE levels, tends to support the view that markets can be rebuilt and consumer confidence restored. For its part, the Commission - on the basis of the latest research - is surely correct to signal that the ban on British beef can be lifted. The EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mr Franz Fischler, has already declared: "we do feel British beef is safe." These are encouraging words; but EU farm ministers, when they meet later this month, will still have a job of work to do. They must satisfy themselves, of course, that there is no threat to public health. But they must also be reassured that the necessary lessons have been absorbed by British farmers - and by the British government.