UK adds insult to injury

Date: 06/06/1996

THE anger which has been bubbling up just below the surface since the UK launched its policy of non-cooperation has finally boiled over, with the European Commission making it clear that it will not use its influence to help get the rest of the ban on British beef lifted unless John Major's government abandons its “manifest and deliberate” policy of obstruction.

Until yesterday, the Commission - along with other EU member states - had resisted the temptation to go beyond voicing frustration over the UK's continuing obstinacy and warning that it could backfire.

But Santer's outspoken attack suggests their patience has finally snapped.

It should come as no surprise that it is the Commission which is leading the counter-attack against British attempts to hold the rest of the Union to ransom.

Major's government has a lot to thank the Commission for. It has rallied to the British cause with enormous vigour in recent weeks by firmly backing the UK's call for partial lifting of the ban and risking the wrath of six other member states by using its own powers to ease the restrictions after farm ministers failed to do so by the necessary majority at their meeting this week.

The Commission's courage in going against the wishes of such a large minority of governments - including the Union's most powerful member state, Germany - should not be underestimated.

By doing so, Santer risks souring relations with a string of member states with a far greater track record of loyalty to the EU than the British.

But has this prompted a display of gratitude on the part of the UK government? Far from it. Despite the “charm offensive” tag attached to the tour of EU capitals currently being undertaken by British ministers, their tone remains less than diplomatic as they continues to warn that the UK is prepared to go on blocking Union business into the summer, if necessary, to get the rest of the ban lifted.

Cynical attempts to portray the partial easing of the ban as a victory for Major's non-cooperation policy - when everyone who has followed the debate closely knows that it was on the cards before the UK government announced its 'get-tough' strategy - must have felt like a slap in the face to both Santer and Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler when, in fact, it was their efforts which made it all possible.

In the face of such intransigence, Santer had no option but to fight back.

The ball is now very firmly back in the British government's court. It has so far failed to heed the warnings from senior members of its own party, as well as its partners in Europe, that its obstinacy could only harm its chances of getting the rest of the ban lifted.

Without some signal from London that it is prepared to lower the temperature by relaxing its blocking policy, things can only get worse.

Major must now recognise that he cannot afford to go on using Europe as a whipping boy in a last-ditch attempt to claw back some of his government's lost popularity at home without paying a heavy price.

Just how heavy a price, only time will tell.