Brown puts faith in courts over beef
9 December 1999
Brown puts faith in courts over beef
By FWi staff
AGRICULTURE minister Nick Brown is hopeful the European Commission will speed up legal proceedings against France after the French refused to lift their ban on British beef.
French prime minister Lionel Jospin made the announcement last night (Wednesday) after a cabinet meeting.
A statement said that, given concerns about the safety of British beef, France was not in a position to lift the embargo.
This decision was a devastating blow to the British government and meat industry leaders, who had recently seemed optimistic that diplomacy would secure a solution to the dispute.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme this morning, Mr Brown said as there was “a clear-cut case” against France and hoped the EC would opt for fast-track action.
This would avoid a protracted legal process to get the ban lifted which could last months or even years.
The EC is considering the issue today (Thursday).
Mr Brown said it was not for him to tell the EC what to do “in a pompous or high-handed manner”, but placed his faith in the commission, which had throughout acted in a “perfectly correct manner”.
Europes food safety commissioner David Byrne expressed “extreme surprise and disappointment” at the French decision.
“In the circumstances, there seems to be no alternative but to proceed with legal action against France in the European Court of Justice as soon as possible,” he said.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Bryne said he was looking into the possibility of using fast track procedures to resolve the issue as soon as possible, but at that time said it was likely to take time.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said: “We have science and the law on our side and it is regrettable that the French ignored the science and defied the law.
“It now means we have to go through the courts, a process that everyone had hoped to avoid.”
Shadow agricultural minister Tim Yeo said the French had humiliated the government and called for Mr Brown to resign.
National Farmers Union president Ben Gill called the French decision “a real crisis for Europe” and is travelling to Brussels this morning to put his case to commissioners.
Mr Gill called on consumers to step up a boycott on French produce.
However, Mr Brown insisted this morning there would be no retaliatory ban from the British government.
The French government decision to keep the boycott came after the French food safety agency ducked a decision on Monday by returning an inconclusive verdict on the status of British beef.
France retained a boycott on British beef after the EU lifted its three-and-half year ban in August, citing concerns about BSE. Germany is also refusing imports of British beef.
- Beef buck back with French government, FWi, 07 December, 1999
- French to decide on beef this week, FWi, 07 December, 1999