The European Commission is lifting the ban on beef exports from most herds in Northern Ireland from next Monday.

The ban -- which also covers the rest of the United Kingdom -- has been in force since March 1996 because of concerns about BSE or mad cow disease.

A BBC correspondent in Brussels says there's now hope of progress in lifting the entire ban within a few weeks.

She says Northern Ireland received special treatment because it has kept more reliable livestock records than mainland Britain.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
 

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