Minister: France is victim of unjust beef embargoes

Speaking to France Inter radio, Moscovici accused European governments of "unjust practices" in banning the import of French beef because of a rise in the number of cows found to be infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

A number of European countries including Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal have ceased practically all their imports of French beef in the past weeks, severely damaging the French industry.

"France is the country that has done the most in the matter of precaution, in the matter of prevention," Moscovici said. "It is therefore paradoxical that people are turning against us because we have taken precautionary measures."

Ironically, France remains the only country to have maintained its ban on the import of British beef since the European Union lifted its embargo in 1996.

Moscovici admitted that France's ban on British beef placed the country in a difficult decision. "We were not very respectful of (E.U.) community regulations in this matter," he said. "Here, we are faced with rather great disarray."

In a related development, a secondary school near the city of Bordeaux has cancelled an excursion to Britain after several families expressed concerns about their children eating British beef, sources at the Mamon-Cormier de Bassens school said.

Students were to be housed with British families, where the school's chaperones would not be able to supervise their meals.

Meanwhile, another BSE-infected cow was detected in the northern department of Eure, the prefecture announced late Tuesday, bringing to 104 cases detected in France since the beginning of the year.

(la/dpa)