Elfed Williams, the NFU secretary for the Llanrwst area, said this could be "very good news for many counties across Wales".

Around two million Welsh lamb are exported in a trade worth �100m a year.

Gwynedd - an area which never had any foot-and-mouth cases - is one of the counties that would benefit from the decision.

Beate Gminder, the European Commission spokesperson for Health and Consumer Protection, said the EU has already begun a staged relaxation of exports of pig meat.

She expected that after allowing exports from counties that have never had a foot-and-mouth case, a ban relaxation in areas free of the disease for 90 days would follow.

Around two million lambs are normally exported

Attempts closer to home to boost lamb sales include large supermarkets chains like Iceland which have started to sell Welsh hill lambs, opening a much-needed new market.

The hope now is that this new market will help avoid any future unnecessary lamb culls.

The EU committee has also agreed to allow areas which have foot-and-mouth free status to export beef.

This will include an area like Anglesey which had cases of the virus but which is now clear.

Meanwhile, Muslim families are being targeted in a campaign aimed at boosting sales of British lamb.

The Meat and Livestock Commission is distributing recipe leaflets - in English and Urdu - to halal butchers as part of the promotion.

Although Muslim families represent just 5% of the population, they consume an estimated 20% of all British lamb and mutton.