Germany lifts UK beef ban

Germans have been unable to buy UK beef since 1996

Germany's upper house of parliament has voted to lift the embargo on the sale of British beef averting the risk of legal action from the EU.

The government bill received 39 votes to 30 in the Bundesrat - four more than the total needed to lift the ban, in place since 1996 because of fears about the risk from BSE, or mad cow disease.

France and Germany faces EU fines for banning beef

In response, Europe's food safety commissioner David Byrne called a halt on Tuesday to legal moves against Berlin, instigated last month, for failing to lift the ban.

The UK's agriculture ministry Nick Brown said it was now up to the authorities and meat industry representatives to regain consumer confidence abroad.

British beef could be back on sale in Germany by early April.

A ban on British beef remains in force in France, which is still threatened with EU legal action.

Close call

Before the vote, a number of regional leaders said they were still not satisfied that beef from the UK is safe to eat.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had hinted that any fines imposed should the ban remain in place could be passed on to the regional governments.

Correspondents say comments by Helmut Holl, state secretary for Lower Saxony, helped swing the vote in favour of the bill.

Mr Holl said lifting the ban would be of greater political significance than economic importance, marking a last minute change in Saxony's position.

Before the ban, British beef accounted for less than 2% of Germans' total beef consumption - so it was pointless to keep the ban in the face of possible fines, he said.

Legal action stopped

Lifting legal moves against Germany, Safety Commissioner David Byrne said: "The German lander (states) have listened to our arguments and understood them.

"British beef is only exported under strict safety conditions, which have been evaluated by scientists who concluded it was as safe as any other beef in Europe," he said.

The commissioner renewed his call on all member states to take action against the continuing risk of BSE.