41.   The EU said it imposed the measure to protect public health across the union and to bolster its beef market.

42.   The European Commission released figures at the meeting showing a slight recovery in the beef market, which has been hit hard by mad cow fears.

43.   The EU said it imposed it to protect public health across the union and bolster its beef market.

44.   The European Union banned British beef exports to the world Wednesday, hoping to contain mad cow disease while Britain considers safeguards and tries to salvage its beef market.

45.   The EU beef market plunged into crisis last week amid fears about new evidence linking the cattle disease, found in British herds, with a deadly human illness.

46.   The EU imposed a global ban on British exports to protect the beef market in other EU nations from a consumer scare.

47.   The report accuses the commission of being more concerned about stability in the beef market than consumer protection.

48.   The Swiss Union of Master Butchers said it was unfair that attempts to restore the beef market should be borne by taxpayers.

49.   The United States wants South Korea to ease its restrictions on foreign access to its beef market and increase its import quota for U.S. beef.

50.   Then the leaders settled down to talk about what was really on their minds - the crisis in the beef market that has stretched around the world.