The European Commission, based on the opinion of the European Food Standards Agency, has agreed that Member states can increase the age of BSE testing to 48 months.

To do this those Member states that are eligible must apply to modify their national testing programme which must then be approved by SCOFCAH based on criteria agreed at their meeting in June of this year.

During discussions with the commission it has been made clear that that the UK does fit the criteria laid out to lift the age to 48 months.

The NFU will now be pushing the FSA and Defra to ensure we apply for this modification at the next SCOFCAH meeting in October; this would affect testing of Clean cattle at abattoir and the TSE fallen animal testing scheme.

If approved it is likely that these changes will take effect in early 2009.