The European Union is to ban British livestock and meat exports after the discovery of a case of foot and mouth disease in south-east England, government minister Ed Miliband told the BBC Saturday.
"There will be a ban on exports within the European Union. That is automatically imposed as a result of the finding of foot and mouth disease," the Cabinet Office minister told the broadcaster.
European Commission spokeswoman Christiane Hohmann said earlier Saturday that Britain was complying with legislation to prevent the spread of the disease.
An emergency decision would be adopted Monday "confirming the measures being applied concerning restrictions on the movement of animals and the dispatch of products" from Britain, she added.