EU lifts African restrictions

The European Commission has decided to lift the last remaining restrictions imposed on meat imports from Swaziland and Botswana. The ban was imposed following outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Imports into the EU​ of de-boned and maturated fresh meat from the whole country of Swaziland were suspended in December 2000, while imports of de-boned and maturated fresh meat and farmed and wild game animals were suspended from the whole country of Botswana in January 2003 following outbreaks of FMD.

However, additional information and guarantees received from the veterinary authorities allowed the Commission to regionalise the countries and to authorise the importation of certain products from a number of zones.

Since then, intensive surveillance carried out in both countries has confirmed that FMD is no longer present. As a consequence, these two countries are considered by the EU to be free of FMD. Because of this, the Commission has decided to remove all remaining restrictions placed on both countries.