Brussels to sue France for not lifting UK beef ban
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.France is to be taken back to the European Court of Justice by the European Commission over its refusal to lift a ban on British beef.
Paris has formally declared that the beef embargo will remain for at least three months, despite being ordered to re-admit British beef by the court. The new case, which will last up to 18 months, will seek to enforce that judgment and impose fines if Paris refuses to obey.
The move comes as a new scientific study claims that rogue proteins, or prions, linked to those that cause mad cow disease, can form in muscle, not just in tissue hitherto seen as risky. The findings, from a team of US scientists led by Stanley Prusiner, who won the Nobel prize for his work on prions, have provoked much interest in France. Experiments on mice show high levels of prions can collect in muscles, as well as in the central nervous system and lymphatic tissues, which are seen as the main risk areas.
Beate Gminder, a spokeswoman for the European Commissioner for health and consumer affairs, said the EU scientific committee would evaluate the work but added: "The structure and the metabolism of mice cannot be compared with that of bovine animals or that of human beings, but the Commission does take on board Prusiner's advice to carry out studies on this."
The new findings are unlikely to alter the Commission's decision on its legal case. The power to fine countries for breaching EU law has only been used once, when Greece was fined €20,000 a day for breaking an environmental law.
Officials in Brussels are confident that Paris will lift the embargo once the French presidential elections are over.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments