Belgium plans to ease EU dioxin-in-food rules

[Neil Tangri <ntangri@essential.org>]

                Focus - Belgium plans to ease EU
                dioxin-in-food rules

                EU: August 9, 1999

                BRUSSELS - Belgium will move today to ease new
                laws designed to combat the dioxin-in-food crisis, the
                government said on Saturday, playing down
                suggestions it was heading for renewed conflict with
                its European Union partners. 

                Health Minister Magda Aelvoet published a new law last
                Friday forcing all foods with more than two percent fat
                content to be tested for the cancer-causing chemicals
                dioxin and PCB before export, with the exception of fats
                derived from milk.

                But government sources said this was only done to put into
                Belgian law new restrictions imposed last Wednesday by
                the European Union, Belga news agency reported.

                The measures were expected to make it very difficult for
                Belgium to export any food at all.

                A new modified ministerial order will be put forward today,
                which is expected to limit tests to food with more than 20
                percent fat, Belga quoted government sources as saying.

                Belgium insists that only foods containing more than 20
                percent fat need be tested, while the EU has stuck
                resolutely to the two percent figure.

                "Belgium maintains its position that PCB tests are only
                necessary for products containing more than 20 percent of
                animal fats or eggs," Farm Minister Jaak Gabriels told
                Belga.

                Belgium could be taken to court by the European
                Commission if it chooses to go against the EU's decision,
                though Gabriels said he was confident Belgium could
                defend itself.

                The previous administration of Jean-Luc Dehaene has
                already been taken to the Luxembourg-based European
                Court of Justice for failing to alert the EU about dioxin
                contamination quickly enough.

                Belgium's dioxin crisis flared up again two weeks ago when
                it was discovered that more farms than originally thought
                had been supplied with contaminated animal feed.

                The measures introduced by Aelvoet on Friday were
                expected to cover virtually all foodstuffs, including
Belgium's
                famous waffles. Lorries carrying waffles to France were
                stopped at the French border on Friday evening.

                Government officials were not immediately available for
                comment.

                Last week, Belgium quarantined 175 farms after tests
                revealed the presence of PCBs that may indicate the
                presence of dioxin.

                In May, the previous government's admission that meat
                contained high levels of dioxin triggered worldwide bans on
                Belgian meat, eggs and dairy products. The government
                was forced from office in the country's June general
                election. 

                REUTERS NEWS SERVICE 


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Neil TANGRI