Europe takes tougher line on French beef ban
The European Commission yesterday lost its patience with France over its unilateral ban on British beef, saying it would be taking the country to the European Court of Justice for a second time. It also suggested that France should be made to pay a fine of Eur158,250 ($158,000) per day until the ban is lifted.
The decision follows repeated refusals by France to lift the ban, citing the fact it is bound by law to await an opinion from its own food safety agency, AFSSA. Originally imposed in the mid-1990s amid fears of mad cow disease, the ban should have been lifted three years ago in line with the rest of Europe. It has also remained in place despite a ruling from the European Court of Justice last year that it was illegal and must be lifted.
Even if the court acts on the Commission’s suggestion, however, it could take up two years to make a decision. Mindful of this, the commission has asked for an ‘accelerated procedure.’ Prior to the ban on exports in March 1996, France was a major market for British beef, taking some 115,000 tonnes in 1995. Since the ban was lifted in the summer of 1999, only beef meeting special criteria has been sanctioned for export. It must be deboned and come from a designated export plant - restrictions that have limited shipments to a trickle.
