The aftermath of foot and mouth in the UK: Post-crisis change and Europeanisation

This article assesses the aftermath of the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis in the context of Europeanisation. Informed by significant elite interviews with British politicians and senior officials in the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Cabinet Office, and the European Commission, the article shows that the 2001 foot and mouth crisis led to an enthused approach by UK policy-makers to reforming the EU legislative framework governing future outbreaks but that this was unmatched by a problematic policy implementation process – despite the impact of a crisis. The article concludes that the twin conceptual bases of Boin et al.’s categorisations of change and Europeanisation are important lenses for studying the aftermath of the foot and mouth crisis.