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![_BY BOYD CHAMPNESS_ THE European Unions decision to lift the ban on British beef could actually benefit Australian producers, according to a report in the _Stock and Land_. Cattle Council of Australia president Peter Milne said this decision sends a strong message to consumers throughout the world. “It is interesting that some pundits have seen [the lifting of the beef ban] as a real positive for the Australian industry,” he told the newspaper. “The fact that Europe is accepting beef again from the United Kingdom ought to send pretty strong signals to other markets that have suffered because of the BSE scare.” “It is a pretty clear signal that the risk has passed as far as Europe is concerned. It might have some flow-on benefits for the beef industry,” he said. The ban – which was imposed on the UK in March 1996 – is due to be lifted on 1 August. Mr Milne said there was an expectation that when the ban was imposed it would benefit Australian exports. But apart from live exports to North Africa, there has been little impact, he said. Prior to the beef ban the UK was exporting about 150,000 tonnes of beef into Europe annually, but Mr Milne said it would take some time before the UK could boast these sort of figures again. According to the _Stock and Land_, beef consumption in the EU is increasing to the point of meeting production as the memory of the BSE scare fades, which should also help to negate any extra beef exported by the UK.](https://www.fwi.co.uk/wp-content/themes/pm-one-fwi/assets/images/FW-default.svg)
_BY BOYD CHAMPNESS_ THE European Unions decision to lift the ban on British beef could actually benefit Australian producers, according to a report in the _Stock and Land_. Cattle Council of
Australia president Peter Milne said this decision sends a strong message to consumers throughout the world. “It is interesting that some pundits have seen [the lifting of the beef ban] as
a real positive for the Australian industry,” he told the newspaper. “The fact that Europe is accepting beef again from the United Kingdom ought to send pretty strong signals to other
markets that have suffered because of the BSE scare.” “It is a pretty clear signal that the risk has passed as far as Europe is concerned. It might have some flow-on benefits for the beef
industry,” he said. The ban – which was imposed on the UK in March 1996 – is due to be lifted on 1 August. Mr Milne said there was an expectation that when the ban was imposed it would
benefit Australian exports. But apart from live exports to North Africa, there has been little impact, he said. Prior to the beef ban the UK was exporting about 150,000 tonnes of beef into
Europe annually, but Mr Milne said it would take some time before the UK could boast these sort of figures again. According to the _Stock and Land_, beef consumption in the EU is increasing
to the point of meeting production as the memory of the BSE scare fades, which should also help to negate any extra beef exported by the UK.