10/10/2018 (Agence Europe) – Member states’ ambassadors to the EU (COREPER) approved without debate on Wednesday 10 October the launch of negotiations with the United States to import high-quality beef that has not been treated with growth hormones (see EUROPE 12109). The talks aim to increase the US share of an existing 45,000 tonne tariff quota. Under pressure from the US, the European Commission put on the table in March (see EUROPE 11993) a renegotiation of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2009 in the framework of the settlement to the transatlantic spat about hormones in beef. The MoU allowed the opening of an import tariff quota for supplier countries, but Washington expressed concern in 2016 that around 60% of the quota was mostly used by a handful of other countries, particularly Uruguay, Australia and Argentina. The Europeans hope in this way to head off the levying of new US tariffs on cars. (HD)