THE BRITISH government's new evidence of a possible link between BSE in cattle and CJD in humans will be presented to EU veterinary experts meeting in Brussels tomorrow.
The meeting follows the House of Commons announcement that there could be new cause for concern about a link between the two diseases.
That admission is bound to revive German demands for a ban on exports of British beef.
The European Commission has backed Britain until now, threatening Germany with legal action if it went ahead with such a ban when the rest of the EU accepted the health checks introduced by Britain to reassure consumers.
After the most recent German complaints, EU governments made Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease notifiable in every member state, obliging all cases to be registered.
Brussels firmly rejected German claims that the disease was on the brink of becoming a scourge" of AIDS like proportions. Commission officials pointed out that not only was every other member state satisfied with the control measures being taken in the UK, but they had the support of the World Heath Organisation.
The Commission still maintains a ban on British beef exports would be illegal under EU trade rules - unless fresh scientific evidence demonstrates an increased danger to health.
Tomorrow's meeting will now have to assess whether the latest findings mean new EU restrictions are necessary.
And more talks on Monday will determine whether urgent changes are needed in what level of health safeguards is considered sufficient.
Germany is bound to lead demands for tougher action, threatening serious losses for the British meat industry even if the latest scare is unsubstantiated.
The last BSE controversy, caused by two cases of BSE in British cattle, badly hit an £8 million beef trade with Germany even without a formal export ban, as well as affecting other products including Scotch whisky.
A Belgian hamburger chain cancelled a £1 million order of British beef as the scare grew and millions of pounds were wiped off UK beef exports, even without any active support for the German call for a ban.
At the time, Germany accused the UK of playing down the possible risks - an allegation which cannot be levelled now that the British government itself has highlighted the latest concerns.
But senior government vets will be arguing strongly that the kind of ban sought by Germany remains unnecessary and the health and safety measures in force have not been undermined by the possible link with beef dating back before 1989.
Extensive media coverage of specific cases has generated substantial, though relatively short lived drops in consumption, the EU Commission said.
A rash of adverse publicity in November and December saw sales plummet by nearly a fifth, month on month, costing farmers upwards of £28 million in retail sales.
. An abattoir worker, Mr Leonard Franklin (53), died on February 28th after being taken ill with the suspected human form of mad cow disease in September last year. At the opening of an inquest on February 29th, the York Coroner, Mr Donald Coverdale said a post mortem examination revealed his cause of death was, provisionally, Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease. He said confirmation would take time and adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed.