A senior EU agricultural official called on Japan to open its market to European beef from all EU countries, saying that Europe expects "reciprocity" in the form of imports of the famous Japanese beef Wagyu and Kobe.

European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan told reporters that “only a small number of countries” of the European Union have gained access to the Japanese market for the supply of beef products, despite the fact that BSE disease - usually called cow disease - was eliminated back in 2005.

“We are working hard to convince Japan that we have reached the required level of technical and operational criteria in order to gain access to its market for all countries of the European Union as a single organization,” Hogan said during his visit to Japan.

The fact that the European Union allows access to its market for Japanese beef Wagyu and Kobe is an “indicator of our goodwill” in this area, the Commissioner noted. Phil Hogan also emphasized that "the EU expects to see reciprocity after the criteria have been met, and we believe that there is ... full implementation of what is required of us from the Japanese side."

Since 1996, Japan has banned imports of beef from Britain, citing concerns about BSE infection, and in 2000 extended the ban on imports of all beef products made by the EU.

But when European governments began to control this disease, Japan selectively opened up for Austria, Britain, Denmark, France, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden.