The EU decision to allow Britain to export fresh beef and sheepmeat from next weekend has been criticised by a farm leader.
British meat and livestock exports have been banned by the EU since an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease there in Surrey on August 3rd.
Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers' Association president Malcolm Thompson said the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health's decision was very premature.
"This decision to allow these exports is far too hasty, and you would think that they would have learnt their lesson by now.
"The EU authorities lifted restrictions last month, only to find that they had to shut down again due to FMD not being under control."
The EU committee decided last week that exports of beef and sheepmeat would be allowed from October 12th, but only from areas outside a delineated area around the foot-and-mouth surveillance zone in southeast England.
Britain's deputy chief veterinarian officer Fred Landeg said at the weekend that no more cases of foot-and-mouth were expected in Britain. A government scientific report issued on Friday showed the outbreak was "most likely to remain small, and not become geographically extensive".
However, he said new cases were emerging of bluetongue disease, reported for the first time in Britain on September 22nd in Suffolk. Some 25 farms in Suffolk and Essex have been infected with bluetongue as of the weekend. However, the spread of the disease should slow as temperatures dropped.
The disease is carried by midges.
Livestock movement controls had been imposed to try to control bluetongue, and Mr Landeg said these would remain in force at least until next summer.