EU Committee Endorses Allowing Beef Imports From Japan

The European Commission’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health has endorsed two new measures authorizing the imports of beef from Japan.

One of the proposals focused on adding Japan to a list of non-EU countries from which imports of beef into the EU are authorized, and the other focused on the approval of a Japanese monitoring plan for substances and residues in bovine animals and their products.

Lifting the restrictions currently in place will allow imports of sought-after products, such as Kobe beef.

The measures will enter into force following their publication in the Official Journal of the EU, which is expected in spring 2013.

The committee's move follows liberalization of Japanese policy to permit imports of beef from France and the Netherlands.