EU High Court Upholds
Ban On British Beef

BRUSSELS, Belgium —(AP)— The ban on worldwide exports of British beef stays, the European Court of Justice ruled last week, rejecting Britain's attempt to have the ban declared illegal.

The European Commission banned British beef worldwide two years ago in response to growing consumer fears over bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as mad cow disease.

Britain took the case to the European Union's high court, arguing that the Commission had no right to interfere in British trade by imposing the ban on non-EU nations.

The Luxembourg-based court backed the commission, stating the EU executive body took reasonable steps to ensure that possibly contaminated British beef does not re-enter the EU via other countries.

Tuesday's ruling said the European Commission can use its powers to intervene rapidly to prevent a disease that affects animals or threatens human health.

The court rejected the British charge that the European Commission misused its powers in reaction to consumer panic. It said the commission "displayed due caution" by imposing such a ban, and was only banning exports to third countries so the disease could be safely contained.

Before the ban, Britain exported more than $860 million worth of beef a year, with $747 million of that going to other EU nations.

The ban remains in place except for certain types of beef from Northern Ireland, which were recently approved for sale.