EU revives row over hormone beef ban

[DUreader]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,7369,1063957,00.html




The European commission reopened one of the
most damaging recent disputes with the US
yesterday when it insisted that North American
hormone-treated beef is dangerous to human
health and will continue to be banned.

America and Canada have been trying to get the
EU to drop an import ban for years and appeared
to have had right on their side. In 1998 the World
Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled the ban illegal
because the grounds for refusing the meat were
far too general and its scientific evidence did not
specifically look at the dangers of putting
growth-promoting hormones in meat.

Brussels has flouted the ruling ever since, citing
the "precautionary principle" and arguing that the
meat may cause cancer and harm unborn babies.
In 1999 the US lost patience and slapped
retaliatory sanctions on EU goods worth $116m
(£80m) a year.

The sanctions targeted European delicacies such
as roquefort cheese, Danish ham, German
chocolate and French mustard. European
producers were so furious that many, including
famed roquefort producer José Bové, threw
themselves into an anti-American,
anti-globalisation movement which trashed several
McDonald's restaurants in France.