Tories and the EU: German ban on British beef defies Europe: In wake of veto on Dehaene, Germans are accused of illegal retaliation and Chancellor hits back at the right

BRITAIN last night pressed the European Commission to take urgent legal action against Germany after Bonn ordered a six-month ban on UK beef imports in a sudden and dramatic escalation of the row over 'mad cow' disease.

Amid widespread Westminster speculation that the ban, due to come into force on 9 July, was in retaliation for John Major's use of the British veto last weekend, ministers reacted angrily to the Germans' 'illegal' action.

Whitehall lost little time in depicting the beef ban as a populist move made for domestic political reasons. While confident that the European Court of Justice will eventually find in Britain's favour, officials acknowledged that the ban could cost Britain's farmers dear if it is not reversed.

A six-month ban would mean the loss of 350 tonnes of premium beef exports worth pounds 1.3m. Last year Britain exported 700 tonnes to Germany, worth pounds 2.6m. Every year Britain exports 153,000 tonnes of beef, worth pounds 392m, mainly to European Union countries. The European Veterinary Committee, which advises the EU, and the World Health Organisation, say there is no problem with British beef.

The one slender consolation for Britian is that the ban does not cover cows under three years old from herds in which the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has not been reported in the past four years.

A European Commission spokesman in Brussels described the proposed unilateral ban as 'illegal and unhelpful'. The apparent flouting of the European rules is embarrassing for Germany, which takes over the presidency of the European Union on Friday.

Gillian Shephard, Minister of Agriculture, who had no warning of the ban, accused the Germans of 'sabre-rattling' and warned that they faced court action for this 'blatant illegality'.

Mrs Shephard called on Germany to 'step back from the brink' and pointed out that Germany was in a 1-11 minority over the ban. She said she hoped it was not a reaction to Britain's veto of Jean-Luc Dehaene as President of the European Commission, and added: 'If it were, it would be ironic indeed.'

Downing Street was agnostic yesterday over whether the Corfu veto, from which Mr Major has no intention of backing down, was a factor. Officials said Mr Major was likely to discuss the issue with Chancellor Helmut Kohl, but they did not know when. The issue is certain to be raised when Klaus Kinkel, the German Foreign Minister, visits London for talks on the Commission Presidency deadlock tomorrow.

Labour denounced the ban and did not seek to exploit any possible connection with the veto. Anti-Europeans in the Tory party lost no time in attacking the move. Sir Teddy Taylor, secretary of the Tory European Reform Group, said: 'One would think it might be tit-for-tat, but in fairness the Germans have an appalling record of bringing in bogus restrictions on trade. If it is tit-for-tat that would be the silliest gesture of all, but it is just the kind of thing the Germans always seem to do.'

Paul Tyler, the Liberal Democrats' spokesman, said: 'Mr Major's obstructive European tactics have borne fruit with a vengeance. His much-vaunted special relationship with Chancellor Kohl has now collapsed and the Germans are encouraged to play party games for electoral purposes.'

The ban has yet to be endorsed by the upper house of the German parliament, which consists of representatives of the 16 regions. But the regions have already indicated their support, so it is likely to be approved.

The German government already faces domestic criticism because of its clumsy handling of the succession to the President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, before the Corfu summit. Germany's heavy-handedness is partly blamed for the failure of Mr Kohl's preferred candidate, Mr Dehaene,the Belgian prime minister.

Race for Delors' job, page 10

Dear Albert Reynolds, page 19