Green plan to defuse hormone beef row?

28 April 1999

Green plan to defuse hormone beef row?

PROPOSALS by US environmental groups to resolve a vital US trading issue could also help the European Union (EU) in its wrangle with the US over hormone-treated beef.

The environmental groups, the Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Association, are putting forward proposals to give President Bill Clinton negotiating authority on trade.

His attempts to obtain this authority have been stymied by Republicans in Congress.

But the pro-trade bloc in Congress also needs to garner support from environmental groups if any president is to win negotiating authority.

One of the ideas suggested by the environmentalists is the adoption of the “precautionary principle” in cases of uncertainty about health and safety issues.

It is the adoption of this principle that could defuse the row between the USA and the EU over hormone-treated beef.

• EU vets vote on US beef ban, FWi, yesterday (27 April, 1999)
• Beef and bananas on Luxembourg menu, FWi, 26 April, 1999
• Hormone beef ban provocative, FWi, 23 April, 1999
  
• Europe plans to ban all US beef, FWi, 22 April, 1999

• Pressure builds for hormone beef imports, FWi, 08 April, 1999
• USA names targets in hormone-beef war, FWi, 26 March, 1999
  

• Financial Times 28/04/99 page 8