We welcome the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) announcement that the US will open its market to exports of beef, pork, sheep and goat meat and derived products from Lithuania. This further opening of the market to another EU Member State is a welcome step and is the outcome of the enhanced technical work carried out between the European Union, Lithuania and the United States Department of Agriculture. The proposal reflects the good cooperation between veterinary authorities across the Atlantic.
This announcement comes at a time when farmers across the EU face particular difficulties. The Commission is relentlessly working to open up new markets and alleviate these problems by removing existing barriers and increasing export opportunities for European producers. The US decision is recognition of the robust, comprehensive and successful measures put in place by the EU to control animal diseases and ensure safe handling and processing of food from farm to fork. We call on our few remaining international trading partners to follow the US and eliminate all restrictive measures on imports of EU meat.
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