WTO Says No Reason to Ban Treated Beef

In a victory that could be worth $250 million in exports for the U.S. beef industry, a World Trade Organization appeals panel decided there is no justification for a 9-year-old European ban on beef treated with hormones. The panel, acting on an appeal from the European Union, concluded that there are no scientifically proven health risks in the use of six hormones to promote growth in cattle. Nine out of 10 U.S. cattle are treated with such hormones. The Europeans had based their ban on questions concerning the risks to humans of eating treated beef, but the U.S. argued that it was an unfair barrier erected to protect European producers from foreign competition. The WTO--which settles disputes under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade--had ruled last May that the ban should end, but the EU appealed. Although the ruling invalidated the current ban, it includes language that could allow the EU to do another risk assessment and possibly impose a modified ban. EU officials have indicated that they may begin such an assessment.