The EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health approved 15 Bulgarian companies for free meat and dairy products trade within the Union.

With the 15 newly approved, the total number of Bulgarian companies allowed to trade dairy and meat products in the EU rose to 71, an Agriculture and Food Ministry press release said.

Another 585 companies from the same industry were still in a “transition period” and would need to meet EU standards.

The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health also decided the deadline for Bulgaria’s companies to meet EU standards would be the end of 2009.

Companies failing to meet EU requirements will be closed after the deadline expires.

Bulgarian authorities have the right to nominate companies for approval every two months.