Allister Presses Brazilian Beef issue further
27 September 2007
Jim Allister MEP has called on the Commission to ‘immediately publish the findings of the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) most recent inspection trip to Brazil’.
The FVO inspection which took place in March, considered whether the Brazilian beef industry is complying with EU requirements for beef imports, while this Report has still not been published.
The MEP recently tabled a Parliamentary Question to the Commission on the issue, which read as follows:
‘In light of the findings of the Irish Farmers’ Association’s investigation into practices in the Brazilian Beef Industry, will the Commission proceed to impose an immediate ban on imports of beef into the EU, as the USA has done’?
Mr Allister commented,
“In his response, Commissioner Kyprianou has sought to defend his decision not to ban Brazilian beef, on the basis of preliminary findings of the FVO’s March inspection Report. I object to the situation we have at present, where these findings have been kept out of the public domain. This situation is compounded further by the fact that Kyprianou has conceded there have been some, ‘practical difficulties in the general implementation of the new system of animal identification and the control of animal movements’ relating to Brazil.”
“The Commission has given Brazilian authorities until the end of the year to make good, current failings that have been identified by the FVO. It is in the public interest that all are clear about the failings that have been identified.
I have also challenged the Commission to outline what sanctions will be taken if serious breaches are identified at a further inspection due to take place later in the year”.
ENDS
