Informal talks between US Agriculture Secretary, Mr Dan Glickman and the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Franz Fischler, appear to have taken some of the heat out of the dispute between the two trading blocs over hormone grown beef, writes Sean Mac Connell, Agriculture Correspondent. But it was stressed that neither side has changed its basic position.

The two men met over breakfast in the Berkeley Court Hotel in Dublin yesterday for discussions on the dispute which could lead to a trade war in which £10 million (€12.7 million) of Irish goods could be loaded with tariffs.

Following the two-hour meeting, Mr Glickman and Mr Fischler described their discussions as helpful but stressed they were not negotiating. Mr Glickman said that progress had been made in keeping the lines of communications open.