Legal action on beef starts next week
9 December 1999
Legal action on beef starts next week
By FWi staff
THE next EU legal move to force France to lift its continuing ban on British beef is expected to take place next Tuesday (14 December).
This follows last nights shock announcement by the French government that it would keep the boycott, as it was unhappy with guarantees that British beef was free of BSE.
It is expected the EU executive commission will decide to send France a “reasoned opinion” when it meets in Strasbourg on 14 December, reports Reuters news agency.
This would be a formal written warning setting out the legal case and giving France five days to respond.
European food safety commissioner David Byrne said: “If after that, the embargo isnt lifted, were straight into court.”
A decision to haul France before the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice is the final legal stage.
However, this can be a protracted process taking up to two years before a judgement is issued.
Agriculture minister Nick Brown had earlier said Britains case was “clear-cut”, and he was he was seeking fast-track legal action from the EC.
Mr Byrne said he may seek an interim court injunction against France to speed up the process.
If ruled to be in breach of EU law, Paris would be told to lift its embargo and could then face a fine imposed either as a lump sum or in a daily penalty.
Germanys regional states are said to be studying a proposal the ban be lifted in conjunction with strict labelling rules. A health ministry spokesman said no decision was expected until early next year.
Mr Byrne indicated if Germany did not lift the ban soon, it would be in the same position as any other member state out of step with EU law.
This signals that he would recommend legal moves, Reuters reports.
The EU lifted its three-and-a-half year ban on British beef in August.