state-of-play

馬肉混合問題から信頼を回復するためにEUは緊急会合を開いて、調査を徹底させるようです。

EU health chief vows plan to restore confidence in wake of horse meat scandal

"Analyses are under way to identify the possible presence of residues of veterinary drugs, especially where unlabeled horse meat has been found," he said.

A meeting of the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health is scheduled for Friday, he said.

"This meeting will provide a forum to ascertain the precise state-of-play of the ongoing investigations in the member states, and enable discussions on a possible coordinated response," he said.

The commission will recommend to the standing committee a plan that will include widespread testing "to restore the confidence of all European consumers," he said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/13/world/europe/uk-horse-meat-probe/index.html?hpt=ieu_c1

the state of playは"(especially BrE) the score in a sports match, especially in cricket"(Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary)とあり、つまり「（クリケットなどでの）試合のスコア」を意味しています。試合(play)の現状(state)といったところでしょうか。
しかし、必ずしも試合に限らず使うことができそうです。"the stage that has been reached in a process, etc. which has not yet been completed"(ibid)とも定義されていて、つまり「（ある過程における）現状、現段階」といったところでしょう。ここでは「EU加盟国で調査段階の現段階を把握する」という意味になるでしょう。(Minnesota)