Beef ban threatened Theft totals stay
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by Lee Kimber • UK livestock hauliers could lose up to E7m worth of business if a French call for a European ban on British beef imports is upheld by the European Commission next Monday (18 July).
The French agriculture ministry has promised not to take unilateral action to stop imports of British beef, as Germany is poised to do. But a letter written jointly by French agriculture minister jean Puech and health minister Simone Veil supports the original request for a ban made by Germany in May.
• Beef exports earn British hauliers nearly £7m a year. France imported 44% of the 165,000 tonnes of beef sold to the EC in 1993; the Netherlands and Italy each took about 10%. Germany's imports of British beef dwindled to less than 0.5%in 1993.
This letter marks the emergence of a Franco-German axis against British beef exports which could influence EC agricultural policy when ministers meet on Monday.
By then they will have had time to consider the EC scientific committee's assessment of the risk of BSE infecting humans with the fatal Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease.
Germany could be taken before the European Court for breaking EU free-trade rules if it decides to go it alone, but no ban would be imposed for at least six months.