Cunningham says lifting the beef ban is "not imminent"
Agriculture Minister Jack Cunningham says progress on getting the ban on British beef lifted was "not imminent, and would not be an easy or necessarily very rapid process, but it is one we must do."
After talks with his European counterparts in Brussels, Mr Cunningham said he wanted to start a "quick, positive dialogue". He said "unlike my predecessor who snubbed them and would not talk to them" he would be speaking to leaders of the political parties in the European parliament to improve relations.
Questioned on BBC Radio, he said the Conservative party had caused a block on progress on the ban by hardening attitudes with the "preposterous" declaration of going to war on beef.
In his discussions, which included the Common Agriculture Policy and Fish Quotas, Mr Cunningham stressed the new government's line that it was making a fresh start in Europe but maintaining a strong defence of British interests.
In a week where Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler is set to announce the reimposition of the worldwide ban on gelatin exports from Britain, the reception might have been a cool one. But Mr Fischler said he thought the new minister was a "very experienced politician" with whom he could "co-operate".
Mr Cunningham, speaking on the BBC's Today programme before flying to Brussels, said that he was looking forward to creating a "quick, positive dialogue" with other European colleagues rather than the "stand off which went on under the previous Conservative government."
"I'm going to Europe to make it very clear we intend a completely fresh start and a new approach to our colleagues on these very difficult issues. Our discussions today will not be negotiations, but we will be setting out our objectives and our priorities, and of course, the earliest possible lifting of the export ban is one of those priorities."
He said he had an important job of political persuasion to do. "It is no longer just a scientific argument. The previous government made such a mess of their handling, declaring the preposterous beef war which made a difficult situation much worse, we have to make it vlear there is a fresh start here."
After talks with Mr Fischler, Mr Cunningham joined his old party leader, now European Transport Commissioner, Neil Kinnock for lunch.
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