French ban on British beef deemed illegal

The European Union’s highest court ruled today that France is breaking European Union law by maintaining a ban on British beef over fears that it is not safe from mad cow disease.

The court declared that France’s refusal to lift the ban on correctly-marked or labelled imports of British beef and veal from December 30, 1999 was unlawful.

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin will now have to choose whether to end the ban or face the prospect of more legal action that could result in huge fines.

The case stems from France’s refusal to comply with a European Commission decision in 1999 to ease a three-and-a-half year world-wide ban on British beef exports, imposed over fears about mad cow disease.

France’s choice to maintain a unilateral embargo sparked a trade row, with British farmers threatening tit-for-tat bans on French goods.

Ultimately the Commission sued France to try to force it to observeEU law.