The Commission this week confirmed there had been illegal exports of British beef

Date: 03/07/1997

to both EU and non-EU countries since the beef ban came into force in March 1996. The Commission is now considering whether to start legal proceedings for the “clear inefficiency of the controls”, but declined to give details of the illegal exports “so as not to interfere with ongoing judicial enquiries”. Socialist MEPs claimed the fraud involved 700 tonnes of beef restamped as Belgian and exported to Russia, Egypt and Bosnia.