Agriculture Minister lashes back at EU report on high BSE risk in Poland

Agriculture Minister Artur Balazs has openly criticized the EU report placing Poland among the group of countries with high risk for BSE. In harsh language the minister claimed that the EU is economically interested in "libeling" Poland, since no cases of BSE have been reported on its territory, and therefore the decision cannot be accepted by the ministry. European experts say the risk of BSE in Poland is high, since like most European countries it imported cattle fed on bone meal from BSE-stricken countries. If approved, the report may cause Poland serious financial losses, since the EC may impose an additional battery of BSE test at a cost of zl.170 million. The minister is supported by Chief Veterinarian Andrzej Komorowski, who said, "I subscribe to the minister's view. We've been trapped. We introduced western cattle to improve our own livestock and now we are paying for it."(Zycie, p.1) A.D.