Desperate to ease the "mad cow" crisis, EU farm ministers opened new talks Monday but were not optimistic they would agree on measures to boost the sinking European beef market and support cattle farmers.

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"We need more time to try and find a solution, because the situation of the beef market is very bad," European Union Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler said before the meeting.The session came after protests in France, a German diplomatic threat, new scientific evidence and stiffened British resolve all indicated how far Britain's mad cow crisis has divided the 15-nation EU.

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