Sure. There has been work done to determine BSE eradication time related to the long list of SRM removal and disposal, which is what Canada has, and the shorter list that the U.S. has adopted. The study I'm familiar with showed that the eradication time by using the short list was not significantly longer than by going to the long list. We're not talking about food safety here; we're talking about disease eradication time.
So at the time, CCA advocated for the short list; however, during the course of the discussions, and as we looked at the cost estimates that CFIA had performed related to long list implementation, we eventually conceded we would go with the long list. Now, those cost estimates were significantly lower than what the actuals have been, and we do believe the ultimate goal is harmonization with the U.S. on SRM regulation.
We know that in the short term there's going to be a process to get there. We are in trade negotiations right now--key trade negotiations--and we know we can't get there instantly. That is why we called for a program to help share the costs or cover the costs of SRM disposal in the short term. We also see an interim solution as assisting plants, processors and renderers, in dealing with capital costs relating to reducing the amount of SRM material we have to dispose of even within the context of the long list.
As Jill noted, the long-term goal would be ultimate harmonization with the U.S., but we do recognize that there's a process to get there. And because of the trade negotiations at play, we likely won't get there immediately.