EURO-BRIEFS
EURO-BRIEFS
• MILITANT French farm leader Jose Bove appears in court today (Friday) for his part in attacks last year on a McDonalds fast food restaurant. The protests were in retaliation for US import taxes on French produce, which in turn were in retaliation for the EUs ban on hormone-treated beef. Thousands of French farmers are expected to attend the trial, which could see Mr Bove jailed.
• FRENCH potato growers dumped over 200t of spuds on a bridge connecting the Breton towns of St Pol de Leon and Morlaix this week in protest at continued low prices. The region had suffered four years of declining production, said the organisers, who demanded compensation for the loss of grown area.
• ANOTHER BSE case has been confirmed in Belgium, bringing the number so far this year to four and the cumulative total to 14. The entire herd of 118 cows in the east of the country has been destroyed, with their brains retained for further examination.
• ITALY is planning a unilateral ban on several food products containing GM material. After a meeting between Italian European Affairs minister, Gianni Mattioli, and EU health commissioner, David Byrne, last week, it was confirmed that products containing oil, flour and starch from GM maize and oilseed rape would be removed from shop shelves. *