Two major agricultural organizations are "disappointed" the European Union didn't meet the May 13 deadline to eliminate its ban on imports of beef from animals treated with hormones. The American Farm Bureau Federation called it "clearly a circumvention of international trade law." The National Cattlemen's Beef Association said all U.S. cattle producers want is access to the EU market so European consumers can choose the food products they want to buy.

"The European ban on American beef, for any reason, is an underhanded move designed to shut our beef out of their markets," said AFBF President Dean Kleckner. "We want fair access to European consumers. Let the consumers make the decision, not the protectionism of European politics...It's illegal, and the Europeans know it."

Resolving the impasse is simple, said NCBA: "Drop the ban...It's time for the EU to play fair with us and with its own people. European consumers should have the opportunity to choose whatever food products they want, just as American consumers have the opportunity every day to purchase European goods."

AFBF wants the U.S. trade representative "to keep the pressure on the Europeans." That means go ahead with planned retaliation with high duties on European products. "If the EU cannot guarantee a firm timetable for market access for American beef, then we must exercise our last remaining option and retaliate."

George Swan, NCBA president, issued the beef reaction. "Recent scares tactics by the EU, including the release of deceptive reports about U.S. beef, are disheartening s the entire world is moving toward more open and fair international trade practices based on sound scientific principle," Swan said. "These reports released by the EU to justify its ban are based on information that the World Trade Organization already has ruled invalid."

European Union spokesmen, though, showed no flexibility, according to REUTERS.

"We are informing the WTO that it is not possible to lift the ban by May 13," REUTERS quoted a European official. The EU has used a recent scientific panel report as a reason not to end the ban. The report, which U.S. officials have criticized, asserts that one growth hormone is a carcinogen.