EU wants to settle beef dispute with US in bid to ease trade tensions

BRUSSELS - The European Commission announced on Monday that it wants to get mandate from European Council to open negotiations with the United States in order to settle dispute on export of US hormone-free beef in a bid to ease trade tensions across the Atlantic.

The EU and the US have a longstanding World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute on export of US beef regarding the use of certain growth-promoting hormones in beef production.

In its proposal to the European Council, the Commission suggests to allocate to the US a part of the existing quota that is also available to exporters from other countries.

At the moment, the EU has an annual import quota of 45,000 tonnes of non-hormone produced beef, which includes the US suppliers.

"By requesting this mandate to the Council, the Commission is delivering on an engagement taken earlier this year to try to address some concerns raised by the United States on the functioning of the quota in a mutually satisfactory solution that is fully in line with WTO rules," said Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan.

"By taking this step, we are also contributing to ease tensions across the Atlantic, in line with the agreement reached by President Juncker in July," he added.

The commissioner also underlined that the existing beef quota will remain at the same level, and the move will not affect Europe's high food safety and health standards.