The rules apply not only to commercial imports but also to the personal belongings of travelers. Lunchboxes, milk bottles, and other food items must be emptied upon arrival in Great Britain. Customs officers carry out strict checks at airports, ports, and border crossings.
The tightened restrictions follow new reports of FMD in Slovenia and Hungary. Great Britain is currently free of FMD but fears reintroduction via contaminated food or meat or dairy products. Those who bring prohibited items risk confiscation and a fine of up to £5,000.
With this step, the United Kingdom joins countries such as the United States, Canada, and Japan, which have previously imposed import restrictions on meat products from certain EU countries. The British National Farmers’ Union calls the measure necessary to prevent an outbreak that could seriously damage British agriculture.
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In Austria, various measures have been taken in response to the increase in FMD. The Austrian government has closed borders in an attempt to keep the disease out of the country. Concerns have also been expressed from the meat sector about the consequences of import bans from third countries, which are now combined with additional EU measures.
Precautionary measures are also being taken in other parts of Europe. EU countries are closely monitoring the situation. The fear of a wider spread of FMD has led to increased vigilance and adjustments in trade patterns. Concrete figures on the damage to livestock farms in affected areas are not yet known.
It is known, however, that the consequences of a previous FMD case in Germany and the subsequent short import halt on German meat led to substantial multi-million losses throughout the entire chain of businesses connected to the meat trade.