GERMANY yesterday announced plans to ban imports of certain beef, sheep and goat offal from France to protect consumers against "mad cow" disease.
French farmers, meanwhile blocked roads, airports and rail links in central France, demanding government aid to make up for falling meat consumption over fears of BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
A German health ministry spokesman said that its move, aimed against products already banned for consumption or cosmetic use in France, would also apply to sheep and goat offal from Britain.
The intended ban on brains, spinal cord and eye balls from beef cattle older than six months and from sheep and goats older than 12 months will come on top of a total German ban on beef products from Britain and Switzerland already in force.
The legislation is to be examined in cabinet on November 6th, before going to the Bundesrat, or upper house, the spokesman said.
In Paris, the French agriculture ministry welcomed the German move as contributing towards harmonising European positions. According to a German press report, 3.4 tonnes of such offal was imported from France in 1995.
In central France cattle breeders blocked roads, airports and rail links in about 20 of France's 96 departments. The actions were concentrated in the Limousin, Auvergne and Burgundy regions.
Farmers blocked runways at the Limoges and Lepaud airports and cut off rail traffic on the Paris Clermont Ferrand and Paris Toulouse lines. Trains were diverted to Toulouse via Bordeaux and to Limoges via Poitiers, the state rail authority SNCF said.
Farmers also blocked local roads and several major highways, including the A20 autoroute between Paris and Toulouse. Other groups of farmers were dumping loads of cow manure in front of tax offices.
Farmers unions leaders say firm income has plummeted as meat sales have dropped by up to 25 per cent due to BSE fears. The unions want government subsidies of £200 per cow to help them in the crisis.