Poland to start BSE testing
As from October 1, all cattle older than 24 months will be tested for BSE at Polish slaughterhouses.
The move was confirmed last week by the Deputy Agricultural Minister Robert Gmyrek and came within two weeks of the Ministry of Agriculture stating that no such tests would be carried out due to spending cutbacks.
The Ministry’s announcement had been the cause of some concern within the EU as BSE testing is mandatory for all countries applying for EU membership. It was also raised by the Slovakian government with the EU’s Consumer Protection Minister, David Byrne, when he visited Bratislava two weeks ago.
The Polish government has set aside $4 million dollars for the testing programme for the remainder of 2001. The move is considered essential if the country is to avoid losing lucrative meat exports contracts, especially with Russia.
