Killarney, 11/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - At the sidelines of the informal meeting in Killarney (Ireland) of the Agriculture Ministers of the Member States of the EU, Commissioner David Byrne called on Tuesday for the US to lift the trade sanctions imposed on the European Union as reprisals for the Community embargo on hormone-treated beef. Mr Byrne indicated that he would discuss the subject at an evening meeting in Dublin with the American Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick.
"I will, of course, urge him to make a clear commitment to lift the 200 million dollars in annual sanctions imposed following the European embargo on imports of American hormone-treated beef", said the Minister at a press conference, adding that he was convinced that "both sides are prepared to make progress". He said that he was ready to agree, on behalf of the EU, to facilitate exports into the Community of non-hormone-treated beef from the US, due to the creation of an adequate testing system, but on the condition that the US "show goodwill and lift their sanctions". Mr Byrne's meeting with Mr Zoellick in the Irish capital is unlikely, at this stage, to lead to the end of the trade dispute between the EU and the Americans. Mr Byrne pointed out that relations between the EU and the United States on food safety "have in the past been tainted by disputes, and sometimes even by distrust, at certain times". The Commissioner also pleaded in favour of better co-ordination of exchanges between the sanitary and veterinary authorities in Europe and America.