With a turnover of about 10 million euros 0

A protectionist and political measure showing a persistent tension between the Bush administration and the France Therefore, the French authorities wanted to interpret the suspension by the United States, since two months of imports of meat products Tri, including foie gras and charcuterie. The Raffarin Government strongly rejected the charges of "disability" of French control systems by us veterinary inspectors. With a turnover of about 10 million euros, 0.7 of the production of foie gras, 0.04 of the deli and 11 businesses affected, he sent a delegation to Washington, seized Brussels which has sent the European Commissioner for health David Byrne in emissary and brought the case before the world Organization of trade.

Yet, according to a spokesman of the WTO, the United States reaffirmed last month that Paris had "acknowledged the existence of these deficiencies and promised to submit a plan to put an end". Washington has even offered friendly "training to French officials..." Since then, bilateral discussions are at a standstill. The French Ministry of Agriculture "send in the next few weeks its comments on the prérapport passed by the US authorities", said a spokesman. The goal, says, is to "resume the negotiations from these written exchanges.

"Is much more the system of veterinary control as Americans that criticize the industrial institutions themselves", confirms a senior French official. Only three plants on eleven, indeed, were considered an offence by Americans. However, French veterinary services, but warned of this visit, "have dealt with the case to light", says the Manager. "Pointillism" of the head of the American inspectors and "condescension" of French officials eventually give a diplomatic turn to a technical file to the original.

Formalism of Americans

Traffic products quality is not yet involved. Discord is in fact a barbaric acronym, HACCP (for hazard analysis and control critical points, in English). Recognized throughout the world, codified by the Codex Alimentarius and the world Organization of the health (who), and integrated in a directive 1993 European, this system puts in place the necessary means for the safety of foodstuffs throughout the food chain. And France, like other European countries identified by the United States, would seem to be more or less well enforced. "There is a difference in reading of the standard between the France and the United States," it provides to the Department of Agriculture. "The HACCP system is fully codified and leaves little margin for interpretation." Many French small meat processing companies in have applied that to bits. They have often failed to seriously conduct the initial analysis of food security risks above the implementation of the measures. "About 50 companies that I visited, only two had a HACCP system", for his part commented Patrick Merlant, the commercial Director and marketing of land & Terroirs, a young company which sells software for HACCP. "If veterinary services strictly applied the regulation, a very large part of these SMEs should be closed," he tells.

"The Americans are very attentive to the formalism and written procedures." They still identified their degree of requirement, because, two years ago, they had renewed the amenities without problem. "Their decision seems disproportionate to the found breaches," nuance Vincent trowel, Co-Director of the interprofessional Committee of the Web-footed foie gras (Cifog). If economic issues "are not very important", it is "the image of French products that is in question", is concerned about Jean Schwebel, the President and CEO of the manufacturer of foie gras Feyel-Artzner, who feared a "contagion effect" to other countries.