Brussels - The European Commission yesterday agreed to set in train legal proceedings against Germany over its continuing ban on British beef, Patrick Smyth reports. The Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Mr David Byrne, will today send Berlin a letter of formal notice setting out the Commission's belief that Germany is in breach of single market rules.
Germany will have to respond to this notice immediately after the Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament, holds a debate on March 17th on a cabinet decision to lift the ban. If it fails to satisfy Brussels, the matter will end up with a similar action against France in the European Court of Justice.