The European Commission is looking to end a long-time trade dispute with the United States over hormone-free beef imports. The commission's spokesman said on Monday that the move to review the functioning of an existing import quota comes after that meeting between EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and US President Donald Trump, where leaders agreed to launch a new phase in their trade relationship. Take a listen.

MARGARITIS SCHINAS EU COMMISSION CHIEF SPOKESPERSON "Then today the commission has taken a decision to ask the council for a mandate to discuss the review of an existing quota on the import into the European Union from the United States of hormone-free beef and settle a long-standing World Trade Organization dispute. In July President Juncker and President Trump agreed to launch a new phase in the trade relationship between the European Union and the United States. It is also about endeavouring to work on outstanding trade issues including the one on which we are taking the initiative today on hormone-free beef."

DANIEL ROSARIO EU COMMISSION SPOKESPERSON ON AGRICULTURE & RURAL DVPT. TRADE "Presidents Juncker and Trump have agreed to turn the page with regard to trade relations between the EU and the US. And it's against the background, the letter and the spirit of this agreement that we have this joint statement. And based on that we have decided to press ahead with this request, starting to negotiate with the US a solution to a very old dispute with the US."

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2009, the EU established a quota of up to 45 thousand tonnes of hormone-free beef to be imported from the United States with a zero tariff rate. However, the quota was also available to other countries such as Argentina, Australia and Uruguay. The European Commission is proposing to give Washington a larger share of the existing import quota. However, the commission did not signal any intention to lift its ban on hormone-treated American beef, a restriction which Washington says breaches WTO rules.