E. Coli Outbreak A Top Economic Worry For Europe
09 June 2011
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
European agriculture ministers met in Luxembourg this week to discuss the spread of E. coli bacteria. E. coli infections have killed at least thirty people since late May. Nearly three thousand others were sickened. Most of the victims were in Germany.
European officials have not been able to find the cause of the infections. At first, German officials suggested that cucumbers from Spain were to blame. Russia and other countries quickly banned vegetable imports from Spain and other European countries.
The Spanish agriculture minister, Rosa Aguilar, demanded that Germany pay for her country's losses.
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John Dalli of Malta is the European Union’s Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy. He spoke this week about the risk of passing judgment too soon.
JOHN DALLI: "It is crucial that national authorities do not rush to give information on source of infection which is not proven by bacteriological analysis, as this spreads unjustified fears in the population all over Europe, and creates problems for our food producers selling products in the EU and outside of the EU."
Russia has refused to end its ban on European vegetables. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said his country will not lift the ban until the EU provides details about the source of the infections. Some critics say Russia is using the issue to gain entry to the World Trade Organization. Russia is the largest economy without WTO membership.
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