European Union Farm Ministers Plan Emergency E. Coli Meeting

BRUSSELS - European Union nations are holding an emergency meeting to consider how to compensate farmers for lossed due to the E. coli outbreak that has killed 22 people and sickened more than 2,200.

EU farm ministers will convene at short notice in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

EU spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen said the EU Commission "will propose concrete measures of compensation" at the meeting, hoping to win agreement in principle on the issue from the 27 EU farm ministers. EU health ministers also assessed the crisis at a different meeting on Monday.

"There has been a drop in consumption around Europe," said EU Commission spokesman Roger Waite. "It has taken on a European-wide crisis impact so we really need to have a European-wide solution."