EU, US reach deal to end beef, cheese spat

The European Commission and the US announced a provisional deal to end a long-standing dispute over an EU ban of US hormone-treated beef. The deal lifts the threat of new retaliatory duties on EU products imported to the US, such as Roquefort cheese.The United States and the European Union agreed Wednesday to bury the hatchet in their dispute over US hormone-treated beef, one of the longest and most bitter transatlantic trade rows.The deal, which still has to be finalised, lifts the threat of new retaliatory duties on EU products ranging from Roquefort French cheese to Italian mineral water, which were due to be imposed later this week.In exchange, Europe will nearly quadruple its quota for duty-free imports of non-hormone treated US beef in the coming years.US Trade Representative Ron Kirk and EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton said the deal offered a "pragmatic way forward" in a dispute that has long been a thorn in the side of one of the closest trade relations in the world."An agreement is in our mutual interest, and we will now discuss this with our respective stakeholders and constituencies in an effort to finalize it as soon as possible," they said in a joint statement.The agreement would provide additional duty-free access to the EU market for US beef produced from cattle that have not been treated with growth-promoting hormones, the statement said.The access would begin with 20,000 tons of beef -- in addition to 11,500 already allowed -- in the first three years and increasing to 45,000 tons beginning in the fourth year.