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Stakes raised in beef war
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April 21, 1999: 11:53 a.m. ET
European Commission threatens to escalate trade dispute; ban more US meat
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LONDON (CNNfn) - The European Commission threatened to step up the transatlantic trade battle over beef Wednesday, complaining that U.S. beef imports continue to contain traces of banned hormones.
Gerry Kiely, a spokesman for EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler, told CNNfn.com Wednesday that the ban on beef shipments to Europe from the United States will be extended to include hormone-free meat.
U.S. beef from cattle reared on artificial growth hormones is already banned from entering the European Union, but the latest rift concerns traces of chemicals found in supposedly hormone-free shipments.
Kiely told CNNfn.com that unless some agreement is reached on cutting out all elements of hormones from the meat, the ban could begin on June 15.
Such a move would likely raise further ire in the United States, which has bitterly opposed the existing beef ban, arguing it has no scientific basis.
The European Commission's latest salvo is based on the preliminary findings of an independent committee of scientists. The scientists said that some 12 percent of the beef imported into Europe from the United States contained hormone residues, with a further 10 percent containing residues that were too small to identify.
"This is not protectionism or retaliation," claimed Kiely, who said he is not sure how the United States will react to the news.
The European Union lost its appeal against a World Trade Organization ruling that it must open its markets to hormone-treated beef, and is obliged to comply by May 13.
Analysts say it will be almost impossible to meet that date, which could lead to a further deterioration in relations between the United States and Europe.
Some 7.5 million metric tons of beef are consumed in the European Union. Only 7,000 to 8,000 metric tons of that is made up currently of U.S. imports, out of total imports of 400,000 metric tons.
Separately, Wednesday, the EU revealed it would not be appealing the WTO's ruling on its banana dispute with the United States.
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