Brits applaud tough stance against EU

May 22, 1996
Web posted at: 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT)

LONDON (CNN) -- "Mad cow" disease has grown from a health concern to the biggest political crisis in European Union history.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister John Major said he'd disrupt as much of the EU's business as he can until Europe moves toward lifting the worldwide ban on British beef.

On Wednesday, British authorities began to make good on Major's promise, putting a hold on all EU decisions. Tabloid headlines squealed in jingoistic delight, with Union Jacks galore decorating their pages.

One paper dressed Major up as a beefeater, and another rearranged Winston Churchill's famous wartime phrase, saying, "Never has so much beef been banned from so many by so few."

The less-than-charismatic Major has seldom been compared with British national icon Churchill. In the short term, at least, he stands to make some political hay, but could reap the whirlwind if things don't go his way.

"British feeling against Europe is running very, very high," said Victor Smart of The European newspaper. "It's almost out of control in some ways. ... (but) the action John Major is taking now could end up with a demand that Britain leave the European Union altogether."

While Major sees Britain as the prime victim of the mad cow crisis, the beef industry in other countries is also hurting.

"The market in the other member states has been hit even harder then the UK," said Angel Carro, and EU economist. "Market consumption has dropped in all the member states."

European politicians say Major's confrontational tactics won't restore consumer confidence.

"It is not a fight of the British government with the foreign governments," said Gijs de Vries, a member of the European Parliament. "It is a fight over the hearts and minds of the citizens of major countries of Europe."

British cattlemen send some 5,000 cattle a day to the slaughterhouse -- many of them from farms untouched by mad cow disease, slaughtered only because they are over 30 months old. The ranchers, puzzled by the EU's refusal to lift the ban, applaud Major's stance.

"I don't know what they want and I would like to know exactly what they do want," said farmer John Elkington.

But European consumers are equally baffled by Britain's determination to force its beef down their throats whether they like it or not.

"If the beef is not suitable to be eaten, logically you must do something about it," said a Spanish consumer.

One German consumer said he would not buy beef until the issue was settled, while a Finnish woman said that officials "should take this seriously right now because people are frightened."

Even if Major got his way and the beef ban is lifted tomorrow, European consumers are still highly unlikely to buy British beef because consumers simply are not convinced it is safe.

CNN Correspondents Rob Reynolds and Margaret Lowrie contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• FDA tries to minimize possibility of mad cow disease in U.S. - May 14, 1996
• EU agrees to fund slaughter of millions of British cattle - April 3, 1996
• France supports slaughter of British cattle if necessary - March 30, 1996
• EU issues worldwide ban on British beef exports - March 25, 1996

Related sites:

• Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy [cowtown.org] (National Cattlemen's Association)
• European Union Home Page
• Mad Cow Disease (BSE) (Compuserve)

Feedback Send us your comments. Selected responses are posted daily.

| CONTENTS | SEARCH | CNN HOME PAGE | MAIN WORLD NEWS PAGE |

---

Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.