Government considers legal route to lifting beef ban

16 February 1998

Government considers legal route to lifting beef ban

By FWi staff

THE Government will consider taking legal action in the European Court unless the beef export ban is lifted within three months, farm minister Jack Cunningham said yesterday.

Speaking on the Jonathan Dimbleby programme, Dr Cunningham said Britain had now met all the conditions necessary to get the beef ban lifted.

But he accused other European countries of dragging their feet and wanting the ban to stay in place.

“It is very convenient politically and economically for European countries to keep beef out of their markets,” Dr Cunningham said.

There is no longer any valid reason for maintaining the ban, he added.