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The 2004 European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) has hailed Sweden and Finland as the European Union's "innovative" leaders, with Estonia and Slovenia leading the ten new Member States. This is the fourth edition of the EIS, which was established by the European Commission as part of the Lisbon Strategy to compare the innovation performance of the EU Member States. The scoreboard also contains information on Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, the US, and Japan. The scoreboard is drawn up using 20 indicators, measuring human resources, the creation of new knowledge, the transmission and application of knowledge, and innovation finance. A composite indicator provides an overview of national performances. This year's EIS indicates that the gap between the EU and the US and Japan remains constant. The gap between the EU and the US, the Geneva-based EIS said, can largely be explained by three indicators - namely, patents; the percentage of the working population with tertiary education; and research expenditures. While Sweden and Finland maintain their leadership positions, it said, they have lost momentum somewhat. Germany and Denmark are performing well above the EU average, with Denmark in particular moving ahead quickly. Other leading countries, such as the Netherlands, Ireland and France, are slowing down. Most of the new EU Member States are catching up, although from relatively low levels; and…

Jamaica has lifted a ban on US beef imports imposed last year after a single case of mad cow disease was detected in the United States, the agriculture minister has said. After months of negotiations, Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke said Jamaica was satisfied that US officials had contained the disease and implemented stringent measures on cattle and beef products to guard against a future outbreak. But he said the island would continue to block the import of a small number of beef products like bone marrow and brain for safety reasons, as well as meat from cows older than 30 months, which are considered more susceptible to mad cow disease. The agreement, which takes effect immediately, also ensures that all US beef entering Jamaica must come from processing plants approved by the US Department of Agriculture and derive from cattle not fed with animal byproducts like bone meal, Clarke said. In a statement, US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman praised Jamaica's decision, calling it an "important step forward in getting US beef markets opened." Jamaica was among several Caribbean countries to ban US beef imports after a case of mad cow disease was detected in Washington state last December. Investigators later traced the infected cow to Canada. Before the ban, the US was Jamaica's largest beef supplier, with $4.3 million in beef exports to the island in 2003. The Caribbean island nation has since had to increase beef imports from New Zealand, Australia, and Chile, leading to higher prices for consumers, restaurants, and hotels.

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