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A panel of senior EU health officials is meeting today to consider whether to lift a ban imposed on the UK's meat exports after the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the country.

The restrictions on the export of British livestock were enacted after the government announced that cattle in south-east England were showing signs of the disease.

Surveillance zones were put in place around the affected farms and curbs on the movement of cattle were enforced as the government investigated the source of the outbreak.

The National Farmers' Union head of policy Martin Howarth told the BBC that he hoped the EU would allow farmers to resume trade with Europe.

He said: "We feel we have done everything right. The outbreak has been contained and there have been no new outbreaks, so we're hoping Brussels will recognise that with their decision."

Meanwhile, government restrictions on the transport of cattle to abattoirs are to be relaxed from today. Farmers will now be able to take livestock direct to slaughter collections and sales.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the relaxation was part of its "extensive work" to contain the outbreak and identify its cause.

"These plans form the next step in our ongoing risk-based, staged approach to movement controls," chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds said.

"Collection centres and direct-to-slaughter sales will be able to commence from midnight on Wednesday, operating from Thursday August 23rd providing there is no alteration to the level of risk."

The government has also permitted farmers to move calving cows up to 50km.

Hundreds of animals have been culled since foot and mouth disease was confirmed at a farm in Surrey on August 3rd.

Four days later, news of an outbreak at another farm nearby emerged and the government began investigating whether research facilities run by the Institute of Animal Health, or a private company, were responsible for the spread of the disease.

Surveillance zones around the two farms are still in place. Three other sites in Kent and Surrey were also probed after the government suspected symptoms of the disease in cattle in the area.

Tests on all three areas stated that there was no evidence of an outbreak beyond the initial zone.