The EU’s International Trade Committee has endorsed a measure which would put an end to the 24 year hormone beef trade war between the EU and North American states. The proposed concessions would raise the EU import quota for beef from animals not treated with hormones.

The "beef hormone dispute" has dogged transatlantic trade since 1988; it arose following a ban in the EU on imports of beef from animals treated with growth-promoting hormones. In 1996, the US and Canada, which were worst affected by the ban, challenged it before a WTO dispute settlement panel and gained authorisation to impose trade sanctions on EU farm produce exports. The sanctions affected France, Germany, Denmark and Italy, exporters of specialist goods, the worst.

Since 1999, the two North American nations have imposed retaliatory tariffs on a variety of EU exports; the EU’s share of the US and Canadian markets have been severely affected by the ban. However, with the proposed changes in import quotas, the countries have suspended import duties on a range of “blacklisted” farm products, enabling member states to export their goods to North America at competitive prices.

Rapporteur Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl welcomed the proposals, "This will be a win-win resolution, as the EU keeps its ban on hormone treated beef imports without disadvantaging European agricultural products  while the USA and Canada gain a very useful quota for their non-hormone treated beef"

The proposals will be subject to a vote in the European Parliament on 13th March. If passed, the new import quota would take effect from August this year. The new regulation would allow the EU to import up to 48,200 tonnes of duty-free  beef from animals not treated with growth-promoting hormones

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