THE EU Agriculture Commissioner will today seek an explanation for Britain's decision to break an agreement on the culling of 140,000 cattle as part of the fight against BSE.
Meanwhile, a protest involving 8,000 farmers is expected in Killarney, Co Kerry, tomorrow, where EU agriculture ministers have gathered for an informal meeting. The Irish Farmers Association plans to bring farmers by bus from all over the State to protest at falling beef prices. With the beef farmers will be tillage farmers, angry the Commission is cutting their aid to compensate EU beef producers.
Mr Franz Fischler last night rejected suggestions that the cull, agreed in Florence earlier this year, need not go ahead.
"There is no reason to change. There is nothing new," he said at a press conference at the Europe Hotel. "We see no reason to change and there will be no change. We will continue to develop the Florence agreement."
Mr Fischler said if the British were interested in lifting the ban on their beef products, "they must fulfil all the preconditions of the Florence agreement". Britain, he said, must prepare a working document which will be put to the EU scientific committee and, after its consideration, the matter would be discussed by the Commission.
Asked if he would be cool with the British agriculture minister, Mr Douglas Hogg, Mr Fischler said he would always be polite on such matters. However, the tone of his remarks is being seen as a hardening of Commission attitudes towards Britain.
Britain has argued that research carried out at Oxford University indicates that the cull agreed in Florence is unnecessary as the disease is on the wane and will die out by 2002.
British officials in Killarney are arguing that the decision not to proceed with a selective slaughter is not a breach of the Florence agreement.
Britain says the Florence agreement allowed for changes in the policy if new scientific information was presented. It is being claimed that the Oxford study is precisely the nature of scientific information envisaged when the Florence deal was concluded.
The President of the Council, Mr Yates, who is understood to be keen to play down differences between Britain and the others, will present a paper, Trends in the beef sector and actions required under the CAP to encourage consumption. In summary, this states it is evident the BSE crisis has fundamentally altered the balance in the EU beef market to an extent that measures are required to encourage beef consumption and reduce production.
The document, which is likely to be accepted by the ministers, also warns that the plan to slaughter calves, while acceptable now, is likely to come under increasing criticism if retained.
The IFA president, Mr John Donnelly, met Mr Fischler yesterday for talks on BSE. Mr Donnelly said he had requested a special EU budget to compensate farmers "for the severe losses they have incurred as a result of the British BSE problem".
Mr Fischler also met a delegation from the Irish Meat Association representing the beef industry. The delegation included Mr Larry Goodman, who said he was there as a processor to lend weight to the farmers' complaints.
Intense security is being mounted for the agriculture ministers' visit which has been overshadowed by the BSE crisis, already estimated to have cost EU farmers £7 billion since March.
While the meeting is billed as an informal one, much serious work is likely to be undertaken. Mr Yates will be asking the Council to free over £800 million in EU agricultural funds this year and use it to compensate farmers next year.