EU OFFICIALS are meeting today and tomorrow to consider long-term decisions which will have important long-term effects on the future of British farming.

Farming ministers and officials are meeting today to consider ways and means of tackling any future outbreaks of foot and mouth disease and once again, they are likely to bring up the slaughter-v-vaccination debate.

Some of our European partners are furious because much of the £3-billion-plus bill for FMD compensation payments will be met from EU funds and the handling of the outbreak here - particularly in the first critical weeks - is likely to come under fierce attack behind closed doors.

Whether or not those criticisms are made public, or whether new methods of tackling future outbreaks are laid down, remains to be seen.

Tomorrow (December 12) the European Court of Justice will announce its decision on the legality of France's decision to ban the sale of British beef made in 1999 following the lifting of BSE controls by the rest of Europe.

British officials and NFU representatives will be present in Strasbourg to brief MEPs on the decision, which has cost millions of pounds in lost beef exports.

The NFU is confident that the court will find against France, which could then could face heavy finds and perhaps orders to pay compensation. However, in its past rulings, the court has often produced surprise judgements.