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EU ministers meet on beef and bananas

- 17 May 1999
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17 May 1999

EU ministers meet on beef and bananas

By Johann Tasker in Brussels

EUROPEAN agriculture ministers are set to discuss their next move in the escalating dispute over hormone-treated beef between the European Union (EU) and the USA.

Ministers from the 15 EU member states meet in Brussels later this afternoon (Monday) for a two-day meeting which will cover the intensifying trade war over beef and bananas.

They will hear acting agriculture commissioner Franz Fischler outline the EUs position regarding its disputes with the USA over hormone-treated beef.

A World Trade Organisation (WTO) deadline ordering the EU to open its markets to US hormone-treated beef expired without event last Thursday (13 May).

The USA responded by announcing retalitory duties totalling $202 million (£125m) on a range of European agricultural and consumer products.

A preliminary list prepared in March by the USA targeted goods as diverse as EU beef, pork and poultry as well as speciality regional products such as Dijon mustard.

US officials are now finalising that list aiming to implement 100% tariffs on some goods as early as mid-June unless the EU seeks WTO arbitration.

European officials have so far declined to say whether they will seek arbitration, which would have to be completed by mid-July under WTO rules.

Todays meeting of agriculture ministers will also discuss Washingtons introduction of $191m impunitive tariffs in another trade dispute over bananas.

Those duties were imposed after the WTO upheld the US complaint that the EUs banana import regime unfairly favoured bananas from former European colonies.

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