S. Korea, Canada reaffirm differences over beef ban dispute

SEOUL, May 8 (Yonhap) -- Talks to resolve South Korea's current ban on Canadian
beef ended with both sides outlining their respective positions on the long-drawn
dispute, the government said Friday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a press release that Canadian
representatives in Geneva pointed out their grievances over Seoul's beef ban and
the revised livestock epidemic prevention law that set tougher standards for
importing meat from countries that have reported cases of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE).
The tougher rules were made into law after hundreds of thousands of people took
to the streets last year to protest the market's opening to U.S. beef.
"Ottawa made specific inquires with our representatives explaining the
government's position on all issues raised," the ministry said.
It added that Seoul planned to conduct additional talks with Canada and
"actively" respond to complaints voiced in accordance with World Trade
Organization (WTO) guidelines on dispute settlement.
The bilateral talks held on Thursday are part of the dispute settlement process
that calls for formal talks to begin within 30 days after a country formally
lodges its complaint to the international body.
If no agreement is reached within 60 days of the filing, the matter can be
forwarded to the WTO's dispute settlement panel that can make a definitive
ruling.
Canada's embassy in Seoul said on April 10 that Ottawa lodged the complaint on
South Korea's current import ban, which it claims violates international trade
rules.
The ban has been in place since May 2003 after the North American country
confirmed its first case of BSE. Ottawa has since claimed that its beef is safe
to eat and pointed out that the trade restrictions were discriminatory since
Seoul lifted its ban on U.S. beef last year.
Both the United States and Canada received the "controlled risk" designation for
BSE from the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health. The designation
technically allows it to export its beef without any restrictions if harmful
parts are properly removed.
Related to the talks, sources in the farm ministry said the first talks were not
designed to resolve differences but arranged to allow both sides to determine the
other sides views on the beef import standoff.
"If both sides are reasonable, the issue can be resolved quickly, although it
could take some time if neither side is willing to make concessions," said an
official who declined to be identified.
He said that despite Canada's assurances, the country's 15 reported BSE cases are
much higher than the three confirmed in the United States.
"Under such conditions, it would be very hard for Seoul to lift its ban unless
some safeguard measures can be agreed upon," the official said.
Without going into details, he hinted that Seoul may move to open its market if
Ottawa accepted terms that were slightly more stringent than those reached with
the United States, which maintained a general ban on beef cuts from animals over
30 months old.
BSE, or mad cow disease, is a brain wasting sickness that can be passed on to
humans who consume meat from sick animals. The illness is a fatal variant of
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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