October 15,2003

Grassley on the EU's Announcement on Hormone-Treated Beef

M E M O R A N D U M

To: Reporters and editors
Re: European Union announcement on hormone-treated beef
Da: Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003

Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today made the following comment on the European Union’s announcement that it is complying with its trade obligations regarding beef treated with hormones.

"I don't see anything new here. The EU is stating that it will continue to keep its ban on U.S. beef imports in place. It now claims that science is on its side with regard to one of the hormones at issue, and I'll leave this one up to the scientists, but given the EU's record with this case, I have my doubts. On the other five hormones involved, the EU has yet to find any scientific evidence that they pose health risks, and it's still keeping them out. The WTO Appellate Body released its report on this case in 1998, and it's about time the EU came into compliance with its obligations under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement of the WTO. The EU's beef ban is hurting U.S. cattle producers, including Iowa producers."