June 2, 2008

US blasts conditions in EU poultry proposal
   

The proposal falls short of expectations and there is no difference in lifting the poultry ban or not with its conditions, according to Daniel Price, deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs and co-chair of the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC).

The EU proposal, which sought to lift the 11-year old US poultry ban, requires the US to rinse poultry that have been treated with anti-microbial and to label them as antimicrobial-treated poultry among other conditions.

The proposal reneges on the commitment to lift the ban of US poultry with many unnecessary conditions and should be changed, according to Price. However, EU sources said it is unlikely a change would ever take place due to the politics of the issue between EU member states and the Commission.

US and EU industry groups are also against the proposal, though for different reasons. US groups agree with Price's point of view while EU groups oppose the lifting of the ban.

The US is disappointed with the proposal and failure to change it could cause the business community as well as others to re-examine the criteria for the type of issues that belong on the TEC agenda, Price said.

About 21 EU member states oppose the lifting of the ban, with representatives saying that they are not satisfied with the proposal's conditions and they will continue to oppose the plan to remove the ban.