A judge at the European Union court in Luxembourg has advised the Union to condemn France for refusing to lift its embargo on imports of British beef products, imposed in the scare over mad cow disease.
The European Court of Justice's advocate general, Mr Jean Mischo, said France had no right to block direct imports of the British beef, as long as they could be traced and were adequately labelled.
The advocate general's advice is generally followed by the court, which is expected to rule in several months' time.
However, Mr Mischo said a continued embargo on indirect imports, imported from Britain via a third country, was justified.
"The refusal to lift the embargo seems to be an adequate measure for indirect imports," he said.
France immediately hit back, with the Agriculture Minister, Mr Jean Glavany, saying there was "no reason" to lift the embargo. He told a news conference in Paris that knowledge of the epidemic in Britain was insufficient.
The EU banned imports of British beef in March 1996, following the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. The other members of the 15-nation Union have lifted the embargo, but France has refused to do so.
The European Commission had challenged France in court, after tough EU measures were put in place throughout the Union to prevent the spread of the disease.
The president of the British National Farmers' Union, Mr Ben Gill, welcomed the decision yesterday but said the damage to the British beef industry had already been done.
"The action by France in persisting with its unjust ban in defiance of European law will remain a dark period in the history of the European Union," he said.
"Farmers now want a swift verdict and for the French government to act decisively to reopen its borders to our beef as soon as our exports can resume after foot-and-mouth."
A separate legal action mounted by the NFU against France is continuing in the French courts and has been referred to the European Court of Justice for an opinion on European law.
The group hopes yesterday's decision will greatly strengthen its chance of winning the case.