[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 212 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 212

 Expressing the sense of the Congress relating to the European Union's 
  ban of United States beef and the World Trade Organization's ruling 
                          concerning that ban.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 1998

 Mr. Christensen submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
            was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Congress relating to the European Union's 
  ban of United States beef and the World Trade Organization's ruling 
                          concerning that ban.

Whereas the European Union has banned imports of United States beef treated with 
        hormones since 1989;
Whereas 9 out of 10 United States cattle are treated with growth promoting 
        hormones;
Whereas growth promoting hormones have been deemed safe by all countries that 
        have reviewed the use of such hormones, including reviews by European 
        Union scientists in two separate studies;
Whereas since the implementation of the European Union ban, United States beef 
        producers have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in exports;
Whereas the United States beef industry loses approximately $250,000,000 in 
        annual sales due to the ban;
Whereas the United States beef industry, the United States Department of 
        Agriculture, and the United States Trade Representative have invested 
        substantial resources to comply with strict dispute settlement 
        procedures of the World Trade Organization;
Whereas the dispute settlement panel and the Appellate Body of the World Trade 
        Organization have ruled that the European Union's ban of United States 
        beef is not based on sound science or supported by a risk assessment and 
        is therefore in violation of the World Trade Organization's Agreement on 
        the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures; and
Whereas noncompliance by the European Union regarding the ban on United States 
        beef threatens the integrity of both the Agreement on the Application of 
        Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the World Trade Organization as 
        a dispute settlement body: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the United States expects the European Union to 
        immediately and completely comply with the World Trade 
        Organization's ruling and grant United States beef producers 
        access to the European market; and
            (2) the United States Trade Representative should take 
        immediate action to open European markets to United States beef 
        producers in the event the European Union fails to comply with 
        the World Trade Organization's ruling.
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