The Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, protested at the blockade of Irish beef in the UK at a meeting of EU transport ministers yesterday, saying the action seriously contravened EU single market principles.
The disruption of Irish beef exports in the UK is likely to be raised at a meeting today between the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, at the European Council meeting in Luxembourg.
There was a one-hour discussion on the issue yesterday. No formal resolution was tabled, but the EU is expected to consider whether action is warranted. Closure of roads by strikers and protesters has become increasingly regular in the EU, particularly during industrial unrest in France over the last two years. An Irish Farmers' Association delegation told the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mr Franz Fischler, in Brussels yesterday that British farmers were now pressurising UK supermarkets not to stock Irish beef.
According to the chairman of the IFA's National Livestock Committee, Mr Raymond O'Malley, Mr Fischler told the farmers' delegation that other EU Commissioners had taken action against anti-competitive practices in their areas of responsibility and he was determined to ensure that the rule of law was upheld.
Mr O'Malley said Mr Fischler also assured the IFA delegation - including its president, Mr John Donnelly - that no intervention beef would be released on non-EU markets. This was "very positive news", according to Mr O'Malley.
UK scientists added to doubts about the safety of eating lamb last night. In a programme for Channel 4's Dispatches, some members of the UK's scientific advisory body on BSE warned that the disease was "possibly" endemic in British sheep although not yet detected.
Prof John Collinge told the programme: "Given the amount of contaminated feed that was fed to sheep and given that we know that sheep are quite susceptible to BSE by the oral route, it will be surprising to me if some cases haven't happened."
He added: "It's certainly a possibility that BSE could be endemic in sheep. It certainly is a worry."
The programme also quoted Prof Colin Blakemore, professor of physiology at Oxford University, who urged children who have never eaten beef or lamb to "develop a taste for chicken".