European Union ministers agreed in principle Tuesday to pay 70 percent of farmers’ costs for destroying millions of British cattle that could be carriers of mad cow disease.
Meeting for the second day in emergency session, the EU farm ministers said the talks would continue as long as necessary to come up with a final plan to finance the destruction of about 4.7 million cattle and to allay the fears of consumers now afraid to buy or eat British beef for fear of contracting the deadly Creutzfeld-Jakob brain disease.
Under a plan unveiled Monday, Britain would slaughter 15,000 head of cattle each week for six years, which would cost the 15-nation EU about $400 million a year. Britain had sought compensation of 80 percent, and London announced Monday that it would make up the difference in payments to its farmers.
The ministers have called for the European Commission to begin buying 50,000 tons of surplus beef this month from around the EU to bolster prices. The meat will be held in cold storage until a revival of demand.
