The UK Agriculture Minister, Nick Brown, in Brussels for a regular meeting of all 15 European Union agriculture ministers, is scheduled to hand over a formal note to the Commision within the next few hours asking them to consider proceedings.

Mr Brown has, however, told the French he is willing to meet with his counterpart Jean Glavany to discuss ways of bringing the beef crisis to an end.

Tony Blair says it would be better to persuade the French to lift the ban

The UK Prime Minister Tony Blair told the BBC on Monday that while the European Commission is prepared to begin legal proceedings against the French, he would rather the dispute was settled amicably.

"There are two ways of doing this. We can use the law and, of course, we should and will if the French refuse to abide by the proper law and the proper science," Mr Blair said.

"But in the end, it would be better to do this by persuading them because then we've got a better chance of selling the beef."

Mr Brown is to ask the Commission to consider infraction proceedings, which are the mechanism under which EU member states are taken to court for breaching treaty provisions.

The agriculture minister has said he would be asking for the proceedings to be expedited quickly.

The BBC's Angus Roxburgh reports from Brussels

Speaking on the BBC's On The Record programme, Mr Brown said that if the last minute breakthrough that he wanted did come, the Commission would have to consider infraction proceedings on Tuesday.

'Shocked and dismayed'

Mr Brown also made clear his anger at the French Government's demands for new safeguards on beef, saying he was "shocked and dismayed" they had suspended their parliamentary procedure to lift the ban.

But he rejected suggestions he had mishandled the crisis. Asked if he had considered resigning over the issue, he said: "The answer is, of course, no."

Nick Brown - tough stand

He added: "It is not the UK or me who is in the wrong over this. I am the person who is trying to sort this out and I am trying to do it in a measured and rational way."

His comments came as hopes rose that the ban on British beef there would soon be lifted by South Africa.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair held talks with South African president Thabo Mbeki during the Commonwealth Summit in Durban in a bid to persuade him to restore the trade, worth about £25m a year to British farmers.

The Prime Minister said: "We have got a couple of teams of experts from South Africa and Britain who are working together to get it lifted because this used to be a very big market for British beef."

Beer not Beaujolais

Meanwhile, UK farmers' leaders are calling on consumers to say "Non" to French wine on Thursday when the first Beaujolais Nouveau is due to arrive.

The National Farmers' Union has instead declared 18 November as British Beef and Beer Day.

NFU president Ben Gill said: "If the French don't want our beef then we don't want their Beaujolais."