EU B-ORG
rejects O
German B-TAG1
call O
to O
boycott O
British B-TAG1
lamb O
. O

Peter B-TAG2
Blackburn I-TAG2

BRUSSELS B-LOC
1996-08-22 O

The O
European B-ORG
Commission I-ORG
said O
on O
Thursday O
it O
disagreed O
with O
German B-TAG1
advice O
to O
consumers O
to O
shun O
British B-TAG1
lamb O
until O
scientists O
determine O
whether O
mad O
cow O
disease O
can O
be O
transmitted O
to O
sheep O
. O

Germany B-LOC
's O
representative O
to O
the O
European B-ORG
Union I-ORG
's O
veterinary O
committee O
Werner B-TAG2
Zwingmann I-TAG2
said O
on O
Wednesday O
consumers O
should O
buy O
sheepmeat O
from O
countries O
other O
than O
Britain B-LOC
until O
the O
scientific O
advice O
was O
clearer O
. O

" O
We O
do O
n't O
support O
any O
such O
recommendation O
because O
we O
do O
n't O
see O
any O
grounds O
for O
it O
, O
" O
the O
Commission B-ORG
's O
chief O
spokesman O
Nikolaus B-TAG2
van I-TAG2
der I-TAG2
Pas I-TAG2
told O
a O
news O
briefing O
. O

He O
said O
further O
scientific O
study O
was O
required O
and O
if O
it O
was O
found O
that O
action O
was O
needed O
it O
should O
be O
taken O
by O
the O
European B-ORG
Union I-ORG
. O

He O
said O
a O
proposal O
last O
month O
by O
EU B-ORG
Farm O
Commissioner O
Franz B-TAG2
Fischler I-TAG2
to O
ban O
sheep O
brains O
, O
spleens O
and O
spinal O
cords O
from O
the O
human O
and O
animal O
food O
chains O
was O
a O
highly O
specific O
and O
precautionary O
move O
to O
protect O
human O
health O
. O