Commission backs lifting ban on beef derivatives

PROPOSALS to lift the export ban on the British beef derivatives tallow, gelatin and semen, were approved yesterday by the European Commission despite their rejection on Monday night by the EU's Standing Veterinary Committee.

The Commission, meeting in Strasbourg, is now confident the proposals will not be blocked by the emergency meeting of farm ministers in Luxembourg on June 3rd and can be implemented as soon as new British controls are in place. The measures specify new techniques for the heat treatment of both gelatin and tallow.

In Brussels, British diplomats attending meetings of ambassadors and of the Inter Governmental Conference, in line with the promise of Mr John Major warned colleagues that following Monday's decision "the UK cannot be expected to continue to cooperate normally in EU business".

This is taken to mean they will be blocking all points requiring unanimity and insisting that agenda "A points", normally nodded through, will in future be debated - a promise that is likely to have little effect beyond extending the length of meetings.

Diplomats were playing down the short term effects of British threats to EU decision making but there are concerns that a prolonged dispute could blight the Irish presidency.

British insistence that their disruption will continue until they get an agreed timetable for the overall lifting of the ban as well as the partial lifting is seen as a serious problem.

The Italian Foreign Minister, Mr Lamberto Dini, criticised Mr Major's "strong arm tactics" but said he expected the ban on British beef by products to be lifted at the June meeting.

With Italy currently holding the EU presidency, Mr Dini promised that Italy would seek to broker an accord between Britain and the European Commission to win an easing of the ban.

But, quoted in the newspaper La Repubblica, he warned: "These problems can't be resolved by strong arm tactics or blackmail."

Under an alternative decision making procedure available to the Commission, a majority of member states - eight - has the right to block the Commission decision. On Monday eight states backed the Commission and that alliance, is expected to hold.

But Commission sources say, despite intense pressure from the British to approve a timetable for the lifting of the overall ban, it is unlikely that such an agreement can be reached on June 3rd.

The Agriculture Commissioner, Mr Franz Fischler, said after the proposal was adopted that the protection of human health remained the EU priority.

"All decisions relating to BSE should be firmly based on the most up to date and accurate scientific knowledge," he declared.

He said that any further easing of the ban would require careful scientific evaluation combined with firm UK guarantees verified by Commission inspections regarding the implementation and control of measures designed to diminish or eliminate any potential BSE risk from the consumption of UK beef.

The British Transport Commissioner, Mr Neil Kinnock, came close to breaching the convention that Commissioners do not criticise their own countries when he implicitly questioned British tactics in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The former leader of the Labour Party said: "It has been made into a crisis and of course if the wrong actions are taken, it can be turned into something worse than a crisis.

"The reaction here and elsewhere is one of bewilderment by friends of Britain who want to support the UK in getting this ban gradually lifted and further irritation among opponents of the British position.

"Whatever else that does, it does not maximise the ability of our country to secure the lifting of the ban."