NR ASGR
AU Jones,G.; Brown,D.; Nundy,J.; King.T.
TI Beef war resumes as French keep ban
QU Electronic Telegraph, issue 1630, Thursday 11 November 1999
PT Zeitungsmeldung
VT
George Jones and David Brown, Julian Nundy in Paris and Tim King in Brussels
THE beef war flared up last night after France said that it was not ready to lift the ban on British exports.
Tony Blair said he would insist that the European Commission took legal action next week to resolve the dispute. After a day of frantic activity involving London, Paris and Brussels, Marylise Lebranchu, the French Consumer Affairs Minister, said: "We will not move".
Her comment came after a special meeting of the French Cabinet failed to reach agreement on easing the embargo on imports of British beef, which has put a severe strain on cross-channel relations. The decision was a personal setback for Mr Blair who has staked the credibility of his pro-European policy on demonstrating that he can secure an early end to the ban.
French ministers were summoned to the emergency meeting last night after Mme Lebranchu embarrassed Mr Blair by claiming that the UK had still not met French requirements to ensure that its beef was free of BSE. After the meeting, Pierre Moscovici, Minister for European Affairs, said there would have to be "some negotiations" with Britain.
But Mme Lebranchu's insistence on maintaining the ban will worry British Ministers. An earlier meeting of the French Cabinet had decided not to lift the ban ahead of today's EC deadline for an official response. The French hard line provoked consternation in Whitehall as Mr Blair said on Monday, after talks with Lionel Jospin, the French premier, he expected the ban to be "lifted within days".
After consultations with French government and EU officials, Downing Street claimed an "amicable" solution was still possible. Nick Brown, the Agriculture Minister, who had urgent talks with his French counterpart, Jean Glavany, said he still believed the dispute could be settled "soon".
Going to court was not Britain's preferred option. But "we are willing to fight our corner if we have to", said Mr Brown. During rowdy exchanges in the Commons, William Hague, the Tory leader, claimed that the latest French action was a "total humiliation" for the Government. He called for the sacking of the "hopeless" Agriculture Minister.
He taunted Mr Blair over his attendance earlier this week at a gathering of socialist leaders in Paris, saying: "On Monday, you gave the French the Third Way and on Wednesday they gave you the two fingers."
Mr Blair accused the Tories of stirring antagonism to Europe and trying to start a "totally disastrous" trade war with the French, which could cost thousands of jobs in Britain. He told MPs: "We can, of course, take the French to court, and will take the French to court, if they are unreasonable or do not accept what we have put before them."
Downing Street underlined Mr Blair's desire to achieve a negotiated settlement rather than becoming embroiled in a legal action in the European Court, which could take "years" to conclude. Paris is due to give its formal response to Brussels later today to last month's unanimous ruling by a panel of European experts that British beef was safe and there was no justification for maintaining the ban.
Downing Street stressed that if France continued to backtrack, the British Government would demand that the Commission launched legal action against the French government. Officials said Mr Blair was determined that the issue should be resolved "one way or the other" on Tuesday - the day the Commission has said it will meet to decide on France's response.
In Paris, officials said France was willing to risk legal action by the Commission. It is urging Brussels to introduce tests to detect mad cow disease before allowing British beef to be sold abroad. Mme Lebranchu told the BBC: "If there is something which still poses a problem regarding public health, that's too bad. We'll take the risk that the commission might take us to court."
In Brussels, a British spokesman claimed that the French cabinet had not taken a decision and the existing position had been reiterated in "fairly clumsy terms" in Paris. The latest foot-dragging in Paris has considerable risks for the Prime Minister, who has insisted that his policy of co-operation in Europe will bring results.
7 November 1999: Labour councils continue ban on British beef
6 November 1999: Brown not wanted at beef crisis talks
4 November 1999: France has to lift beef ban within two weeks
3 November 1999: Britain bows to France on beef safety
1 November 1999: Germans join France in war over British beef
30 October 1999: Victory for Britain over beef
29 October 1999: French envoy joins gravy train to praise British beef
28 October 1999: French seek face-saving solution to beef dispute
2 October 1999: French refuse to lift British beef ban
SP englisch