Editorial comment

This further shift towards higher levels of direct aid and lower intervention prices will be likely to lead to a reduction in EU market prices, even after the effects of the October BSE scare have worn off.  This will reduce the income earned from ACP beef exports to the EU market andreduce the unit value of export refunds needed to bridge the gap between EU and world market prices, making it less expensive for the EU to export beef to third country markets with the benefit of export refunds.