MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

EU/US reach provisional deal on hormone-treated beef

United States and the European Union have reached a provisional deal to end a dispute over an EU ban on US hormone-treated beef. The move should prevent the US from implementing 116.8 million US dollars in new retaliatory duties on European products such as French cheese.

The EU claims that beef treated with certain growth hormones poses a health risk to humans. The US had given the EU until 9 May to find a solution.

The four-year agreement will provide the US with additional duty-free access to the EU market for cattle that have not been treated with hormones.

“Following a very good discussion today, we have reached an understanding that provides a pragmatic way forward in the long-running beef dispute,” said EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton.

The US has agreed not to impose new sanctions on EU products, though sanctions that are already in existence will remain in place for three years.

Sanctions on a range of EU products including Italian mineral water, truffles and French cheese had been due to be implemented this week.

Earlier this year, French cheese makers and farmers had protested outside the US Embassy in Paris to call on US President Barack Obama not to triple duties on Roquefort cheese. Washington will remove all sanctions during the fourth year.

Before the end of the four-year period, the two sides will seek to conclude a longer-term agreement.

In 1998, the EU banned US beef on the grounds that US beef producers made use of hormones that are unapproved in the EU. However, the World Trade Organization ruled 11 years ago that the ban was inconsistent with global trade rules.

The deal will need to be approved by EU governments and the US Congress.