The diplomatic row between France and Britain intensified yesterday when British MEPs walked out on President Chirac's keynote address at the official opening of the new European Parliament building in Strasbourg.
More than 40 Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MEPs staged the walkout as the French President began his speech. However, Scottish Nationalist Party members and Green MEPs declined to join the protest.
Tory deputies unfolded a banner outside the chamber reading "Let them eat cake: Marie Antoinette 1989." "Let them eat British beef: British Euro MPs 1999." Some chanted "Where's the beef?" in the corridors.
The leader of the Tory MEP group, Mr Edward McMillan-Scott, said Mr Chirac was "leader of Europe's biggest lawbreakers" and there must be serious doubts over whether France was suitable to take on the EU Presidency in July 2000.
Within hours of the walkout, the European Commission said it was giving France five days to lift the ban on British beef. The Commission will send the French government a "reasoned opinion" on the issue.
If it does not get a satisfactory response before the deadline, the Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner, Mr David Byrne, will suggest to his colleagues that they file a case against France with the European Court of Justice.
Earlier the French Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, was unrepentant about the ban. He said that while he and his government were surprised that France's national food agency recommended retaining the ban, if they had rejected the agency's advice they would have been "crucified" by French public opinion, such were the fears about the link between BSE and the human brainwasting disease nvCJD.
"If I must choose, I'd rather be crucified by British public opinion . . . We are talking about an illness that can lead to death in a matter of months," Mr Jospin said.
He said he had suggested exempting British cattle that were fed on grass only, such as the Scottish Angus, from the embargo. but that his offer was turned down by the British government.
He also expressed optimism that developments in testing might address some of the French concerns about the safety of British beef.
The row over the beef ban overshadowed what was supposed to be a celebration of France's central role in the European Community. Mr Chirac made no reference to the continuing beef row in his speech.
He said 1999 had been "the year of the European Parliament". By forcing the Commission to resign earlier in the year, the assembly had helped create a better union. As Mr Chirac shook hands with MEPs at the end of his speech, the former student revolutionary, Mr Daniel Cohn-Bendit, presented the French President with an armband with the slogan "SOS Chechnya".
After good-humouredly returning the armband to the Green MEP, Mr Chirac spoke to Mr John Hume, who said afterwards that he had thanked the French President for his help with the peace process at a European level.
The Irish Green MEP, Ms Patricia McKenna, was one of a number who stayed away from Mr Chirac's address in protest at the cost of the new parliament building. She and her party colleague, Ms Nuala Ahern, were among some 200 MEPs who signed a letter protesting at "the enormous costs" created by the fact that the parliament divided its work among three locations.
