US poultry sector wants WTO intervention on EU ban

The US poultry industry is urging US Trade Representative Ron Kirk to pursue a WTO action against EU rules that block American poultry from the European market.

In a letter to Kirk, presidents of the National Chicken Council (NCC), the National Turkey Federation (NTF), and the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, called the ban an ''injustice'', saying it is time to rectify the ongoing issue.

The EU bans US poultry that has been processed using chlorinated water. While this practice is considered safe and effective by US authorities, the EU says this treatment poses health risk. The US poultry industry estimates that the ban has eliminated about US$300 million of potential annual income.

The letter said the EU has so far conducted no risk assessment to justify the ban, and that the bloc has not been able to demonstrate nor justify why the use of pathogen-reducing treatments are not scientifically acceptable.

In October 2009, the US had requested for the WTO to investigate if the EU ban violates global trade rules, but the attempt was blocked by the EU. Under the WTO's dispute rules, the EU can fend off the first US request, but it will be unable to block a second request.