Reuters | October 28, 1999
The European Union will propose how it plans to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling against its beef hormone ban before the launch of a new round of trade talks in late November, an EU official said Wednesday.
In addition, the United States and the EU agreed in meetings Wednesday to establish a trans-Atlantic working group to offer advice on issues related to genetically modified (GM) foods that have caused concerns in Europe. The advisory group would exist on an interim basis until an independent EU food regulatory agency similar to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was established, the official said.
John Richardson, deputy chief of the EU's delegation to Washington, said European Commission President Romano Prodi pledged in a meeting with U.S. senators to offer proposals on how the EU would comply in the beef and a separate banana trade dispute by the Seattle WTO meeting.
In recent days, the U.S. cattle industry has expressed increased interest in a temporary compensation package from Europe until it gains full access to the EU market. But Richardson said he had no details on what the EU would propose.
Ricardo Levy, a spokesman for Prodi, said the GM working group would likely include top scientific experts as well as representatives from consumer, farmer and possibly religious groups to "fill the gap" between now and when a new independent food agency is established.
EU officials view the new group as an important step in recognizing the fears and concerns about biotech foods that are increasing on both sides of the Atlantic.
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