Brussels, 06/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Union and the United States announced on Wednesday 6 May that they had come to a provisional agreement to bring an end to the long-running dispute over hormone-treated beef. Under the terms of the agreement, Washington will abandon the sanctions imposed on a number of European products proposed by the previous US administration in January, including a tripling of the US customs duties on Roquefort cheese, (see EUROPE 9820 and 9867) in reprisal for the EU's retention of the import ban on hormone-treated beef. “Following a very good discussion today, we have reached an understanding that provides a pragmatic way forward in the long-running beef dispute,” said Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton and US Trade Representative Ron Kirk in a press release. “An agreement is in our mutual interest, and we will now discuss this with our respective stakeholders and constituencies in an effort to finalise it as soon as possible,” they went on to say. Under the terms of the provisional agreement, the EU will provide duty-free access to high quality beef from cattle not treated with growth-promoting hormones. The agreement will provide access for 20,000 tonnes of beef in each of the first three years, increasing to 45,000 tonnes beginning in the fourth year. In exchange, the US will maintain current sanctions unchanged for three years and will remove them altogether in the fourth year. (E.H./transl.rt)