Brasília, 4/14/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The European Commission has kept Brazil at Level 1, the lowest in its classification of possibility of mad cow disease - that translates as "negligible risk of mad cow disease".

Minister of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues, commemorated the announcement by saying that if in the past Brazil had a passport to export beef to Europe, "now we have a definitive visa." This will boost our exports to the EU, said the minister. (AB)