Example: SPS

The Hormone Case

The roots of this WTO dispute go back into the 1970s, when European consumers became increasingly concerned over the use of growth-promoting hormones in livestock. After suspicion that hormonal irregularities in teenagers had been caused by veal treated with illegal hormones (DES), European consumer organizations called for a boycott of veal.

In 1980, the EC Council of Ministers decided to ban the use of oestrogen, and endorsed a greater harmonization of EC members States’ legislation on veterinary medicines as well as greater control of animal rearing. In 1988, the EC banned the use of six hormones for growth promotion. Included were three natural hormones (oestradiol 17ß, progesterone and testosterone), and three synthetic hormones (trenbolone acetate (TBA), zeranol and melengestrol acetate).

The EC also banned imports of meat and meat products unless the exporter could prove that these had not been treated with the banned hormones. The use of the three natural hormones for therapeutic and for herd-management purposes  was still authorized.

 

 

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