THE British Foreign Secretary Mr Malcolm Rifkind, yesterday raised the stakes in the beef "war" with the European Union, warning that Britain's non co operation policy could last two or three months - or even longer.
"The policy will continue until the objective has been achieved," he warned.
He was speaking to reporters in London following a meeting of the "beef war cabinet" comprising himself, the Prime Minister, Mr John Major, and the Agriculture Minister, Mr Douglas Hogg.
Mr Rifkind said the government's approach was a "blanket policy" of non co operation which was already "biting" after Britain had successfully blocked three measures yesterday. "The policy is concentrating minds wonderfully," he said.
Mr Rifkind anticipated an increasing determination throughout the EU to find a solution to the problem and said he had been encouraged by the Italian government's comments that it was essential to make progress on the issue before the EU summit in Florence in June - Mr Major's deadline for progress towards lifting the ban.
Mr Rifkind and Mr Hogg will visit European capitals to meet senior ministers following the EU Agriculture Council meeting in a couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, the British Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, yesterday backed an attempt by the Tory government to end the ban. Speaking in Rome, Mr Blair said Britain's national interest was at stake and that he would make a "strong case" to the Italian government for an end the ban. Italy currently holds the EU presidency.
"No matter how woefully incompetent the government has been, we are where we are," Mr Blair said. "The national interest is engaged."
Mr Blair, who was meeting Italy's new centre left Prime Minister, Mr Romano Prodi, later yesterday, echoed Mr Major's line that "British beef is safe".
"I'll be making the case very strongly for the beef ban to be lifted," he said. But, he added, pressure being exerted by Britain to end the ban must be "measured, lawful and backed up by a massive exercise in diplomacy".
Meanwhile in Brussels, diplomats said Britain is likely to win a partial easing of the worldwide ban next month despite its campaign to block EU business.
We don't like the policy but we don't want to pour oil on the flames," said one diplomat after Britain fired the first ministerial shot in its non co operation policy yesterday by blocking an EU plan on dealing with natural and man made disasters.
The EU imposed the ban on March 27th amid consumer panic over a British government admission of a likely link between mad cow disease, bovine spongiform encephatopathy (BSE), and a deadly human equivalent, Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD).
Eight EU countries supported a European Commission proposal to allow sales of beef by products gelatine, tallow and semen at a meeting of veterinary officials on Monday. But the prosposal was opposed by Germany and six other member states, which together formed a blocking minority. They demanded that Britain first do more to stamp out the disease,
"If Britain respects its commitment and puts selective slaughter into action, the ban should be eased," a Finnish diplomat said.
Britain offered on Monday to slaughter up to 80,000 of its cattle most at risk. Proof of British action, backed by a favourable report from EU inspectors visiting Britain on May 27th, could win over Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Luxembourg, EU diplomats said. Spain, which had to struggle for years to lift a ban on its pigmeat exports because off swine fever, did not see why express treatment should be given to Britain.
Member states are reluctant to prolong the mad cow crisis which has caused a collapse of beef sales across the continent. Veterinary officials rejected the Commission's proposal on Monday because of doubts about Britain's commitment to stamp out the disease.
Undeterred by the rebuff the Commission pledged on Wednesday to submit the same proposal to an emergency meeting of EU farm ministers in Luxembourg on June 3rd and 4th. The proposal, which imposes tough conditions on Britain, is now likely to be adopted, diplomats said.
This would require ministers to decide within 15 days by a weighted majority, or 62 votes out of a possible 87, to adopt the proposal, or to reject it by a simple majority, that is by eight of the 15 member states. If neither is achieved, the Commission can itself decide to ease the ban.