Diplomat hopeful Germany will lift ban
16 March 2000
Diplomat ‘hopeful‘ Germany will lift ban
A LEADING British diplomat in Bonn is “very hopeful” that Germanys upper house will vote to lift the ban on British beef on Friday (17 March).
Gareth Steele, first secretary agriculture to the British Embassy, believes the option to lift the ban “will scrape home” when the 16 regional governments at the Bundesrat vote.
“Its unwise to feel confident at this stage, things can change in the last days or hours even, but at the moment we are very hopeful of a positive vote,” Mr Steele told the Radio 4 Farming Today programme.
A boost came on Wednesday (15 march) when Saxony dropped its opposition to the resumption of imports.
But there are fears that the recent case of BSE in Denmark may rekindle doubts among the regional governments.
Mr Steele conceded that it would be a very long process winning over German consumers with the idea that British meat is the safest in Europe.
The EU ban on British beef, introduced at the height of the BSE crisis in 1996, was lifted in August last year. France and Germany have continued embargoes citing health fears.
Meanwhile, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman have joined Saudi Arabia banning Danish beef following the case of BSE there.