April 20, 2009
EU farm chief eyes more time for EU-US beef deal
The European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel would welcome more time to resolve a 20-year old beef dispute with the US, pushing out the April 23 deadline.
Fischer Boel said she would like to have another few weeks given to the issue.
US officials warned that if the dispute is not resolved by April 23, the US would set the retaliatory duties rotation in motion.
The EU wanted to keep the hormone ban, but in return would offer the US a large quota for imports of beef raised without the use of hormones.
Although the retaliatory duties were allowed by the WTO, but US cattle producers felt they had not benefited from it. As a result, Fischer Boel said they should give the issue an extra try if the US wants to get a positive outcome for its beef producers.
The deal under discussion could expand the EU quota for high quality beef to 50,000 tonnes in three separate stages in exchange for the US removing the tariffs, officials said.
