990557 USA Trade Negotiator Blasts EU On Beef

Paris - Chief U.S. trade negotiator Charlene Barshefsky attacked Europe's ban on hormone-treated American beef and said Washington would carry through on threats to retaliate if a deal were not struck.

“We do not have the sense that Europe has any serious intent to negotiate a solution to this issue,” Trade Representative Barshefsky said during an OECD meeting, ahead of bilateral talks with her European Union counterpart Leon Brittan.

Escalating the rhetoric in the latest in a series of disputes between Washington and Brussels over agricultural trade, Barshefsky said Europe's failure to comply with a recent WTO panel ruling supporting the U.S. position on beef was “exceptionally debilitating” to global trade discussions.

“Europe (is) continuing a perhaps 30-year pattern of refusing to accept panel decisions,” Barshefsky told reporters. “We cannot maintain a multilateral trading regime on the basis of selective compliance with panel rulings.”

She said Europe had so far rejected all U.S. proposals for compromise, including a labeling system for hormone-treated beef and a temporary measure that would compensate Europeans until such time as a labeling regime could be implemented.

The EU has banned hormone-treated U.S. beef since 1989, despite scientific studies saying it is safe to eat.

Officials from the European Commission were expected to brief reporters at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Barshefsky also said she would meet Chinese representatives to discuss China's bid to join the WTO.

She said a U.S. congressional report accusing Beijing of trying to steal U.S. nuclear secrets would not alter either U.S. or Chinese intentions for China to join the WTO.

“WTO accession is good for China, good for the U.S. and good for the world community, provided it's on commercial meaningful terms,” Barshefsky said.

One delegation source at the meeting said there were some suggestions that would-be members be allowed into the WTO before the next round of negotiations begins in November in Seattle.

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