Commission response to Written Question on Brazilian Beef Imports
26 September 2007
The text of Jim Allister MEP's Written Question to the Commission on Brazilian Beef Import standards, and the Commission's full response can be viewed below:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3113/07
by Jim Allister (NI)
to the Commission
Subject: Brazilian beef imports
In the 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?
E-3081/07EN
E-3470/07EN
E-3113/07EN
E-3400/07EN
Answer given by Mr Kyprianou
on behalf of the Commission
(26.9.2007)
The Commission is aware of the report published by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and the Irish Farmers' Journal, regarding practices of the Brazilian beef industry. The allegations made in this report are to a large extent based on an incorrect interpretation of EU requirements for beef imports.
At present, beef imports from third countries are only permitted if they satisfy a number of requirements, which are sometimes stricter than the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) standards, in order to ensure the EU an adequate level of protection against animal and public health risks. These requirements are science-based, proportionate and non-discriminatory, in accordance with the principles of the World Trade Organisation Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (SPS agreement).
In accordance with Community legislation, imports of products of animal origin are only permitted from Third Countries or parts thereof that have been specifically authorised following the in-depth assessment of the performance of the Competent Authorities, and a favourable mission carried out by the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO). The approval is also dependent on the animal health situation within the Third Country in question, and the approval of its residue control plan.
In addition, the products of animal origin must comply with the requirements laid down in the appropriate public and animal health certificate. For bovine meat, the certificate lays down requirements at several levels including on the territory of origin, the holding of origin, the animals, the conditions at slaughter, and during meat production and storage. The territory of origin must be free from foot and mouth disease (FMD) and may have an official FMD vaccination programme in place (free of FMD with vaccination). The bovine animals, whose meat is destined to the EU market, must have remained within the territory for at least a 90 day residency period. In addition, if imports are authorised from territories (such as those in Brazil authorised for export to the EU) where FMD vaccination is applied, there is a 40 day residency period within the holding of origin prior to slaughter. This currently applies to territories within several Third Countries including for example Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Namibia and Uruguay. Furthermore, at the slaughterhouse the bovine animals cannot come into contact with other animals that do not comply with the above conditions, and the animals must undergo an ante-mortem health inspection and show no clinical signs of disease 24 hours prior to slaughter. The bovine meat must be obtained and prepared without coming into contact with other meats not complying with all the requirements mentioned above. To ensure that these requirements are complied with, individual cattle identification and traceability is compulsory for the 90 days prior to slaughter, for those animals whose meat is destined to the EU market. If the animals arrive at the slaughterhouse without the required ear tags and documentation, or are not registered in a database for at least 90 days, they are rejected and will not be slaughtered for export to the EU.
Furthermore for those Third Countries which are free of FMD with vaccination, and in addition to the OIE requirements, EU eligible animals are officially checked at the slaughterhouses during the ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections and an additional more detailed inspection has to be carried out to detect FMD signs and lesions. In addition, their meat must be de-boned after undergoing a maturation process to achieve the sufficient degree of acidity (monitored through the measurement of pH) which would inactivate the FMD virus, should it still be present despite all these measures.
Last but not least, imports of any other fresh beef products other than de-boned and matured meat are not permitted. Therefore imports of any other fresh beef products (offal) such as livers, kidneys, bladders, stomachs and intestines are not authorised. These requirements are stricter than the OIE standards, that do not foresee de-boning and maturation, when importing meat from FMD-free zones where vaccination is practised.
This policy has been assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and it has recognised that the measures in place are very effective to reduce the risk of introduction of FMD into the EU. EFSA's opinion was delivered in February 2006 and may be consulted at: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/science/ahaw/ahaw_opinions/1357.html.
Based on these general requirements, a number of specific conditions have been set by EU legislation for imports of beef from Brazil. In Brazil, exports of bovine meat are only authorised from territories situated in those States that are considered to be free from FMD with vaccination. Following outbreaks of FMD in October 2005, the Brazilian States of Mato Grosso do Sul and Paranà and the bordering State of Sao Paulo, were removed from the list of Brazilian regions from which Member States are authorised to import bovine meat directly to the EU. In Brazil, to ensure that the 90 days and 40 days residency periods are complied with the bovine animals whose meat is destined to the EU are identified with tamper-proof tags and registered through a system called SISBOV. The bovine animals must be kept for at least the 40 days residency period within a SISBOV registered holding. A longer 90 days standstill period is required for all animals kept within the holding, if animals from non approved territories are introduced within the SISBOV registered holding. Approved control bodies (Certificadoras) are responsible for the supervision of the tasks performed by farmers in relation to the SISBOV system. In addition, audits are carried out by the Brazilian competent authorities in order to check compliance of farmers and Certificadoras with the legislation in force. Sanctions are applied in cases of non-conformity detected during audits.
The IFA report was based on a visit to a number of farms in Brazil, located in two States banned for export of beef to the EU (Paranà and Mato Grosso do Sul) and in one State partially authorised for export of beef to the EU (Mato Grosso). Therefore, it is not possible to know from the IFA report if any of the farms visited were authorised for export to the EU. In addition, the IFA has not visited any slaughterhouses, so it was unable to check on the application of the FMD protection measures. Furthermore, the IFA assessment was directed towards total life-long traceability of cattle throughout Brazil, which is not an EU requirement in third countries.
As regards the tag removal reported by the IFA, it is important to bear in mind that SISBOV tags comply with the same requirements as EU legislation in relation to being tamper proof and non re-usable. Checks are carried out at those slaughterhouses approved for the export of beef to the EU, on arrival and during slaughter (identification controls on cattle and checks in the bovine database) to ensure that meat from animals not complying with EU requirements is not certified for the EU market. Animals without individual identification and registration in the SISBOV system are not allowed to be slaughtered for export of their meat to the EU.
Regarding residue controls, all third countries which export live animals or animal products to the European Union are obliged to submit to the Commission a specific residues monitoring plan in accordance with Council Directive 96/23/EC . Brazil has such a plan and it encompasses those commodities which it exports to the EU.
As regards hormones, hormonal growth promoters are not authorised for use in livestock in Brazil – irrespective of the destination of the beef derived from these animals. Recent FVO inspection missions have not found any evidence that there is use of illegal hormones on SISBOV farms. These inspections have included unannounced farm visits.
With regard to the issue of residues and veterinary medicines controls in Brazil, the Brazilian residues control plan has been assessed and approved as it offers guarantees equivalent to those provided for by Community legislation. In common with the Member States, the Brazilian authorities exercise controls on the authorisation and wholesale/retail sale of veterinary medicines. It is true that many veterinary medicines are available in Brazil without a veterinary prescription, which is different from the situation in Member States. However, there is now a requirement under the new SISBOV system mandating the maintenance of medicines records on those SISBOV holdings that produce bovine animals whose meat is destined for the EU market.
More detailed information about the assessment of the IFA report by the Commission can be found at the following link:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/committees/regulatory/scfcah/animal_health/farmerassmay2007_en.pdf
However, some of the shortcomings highlighted by the IFA have already been recognised in the most recent mission reports of the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO). The FVO currently has an intensive inspection programme in Brazil to determine whether the requirements of EU food safety and veterinary health legislation are complied with. FVO inspections are carried out in a professional, transparent, and impartial manner by Commission officials who are experts in the fields of animal and public health.
The most recent FVO mission to Brazil, in March 2007, aimed to evaluate the animal health controls in place, in particular over FMD and public health controls systems and certification procedures. Although it has not yet been finalised, the preliminary conclusions of the report do not justify an urgent change of EU policy vis-à-vis Brazil, as far as beef imports are concerned. However, some of the preliminary findings of the FVO indicate that there are some practical difficulties in the general implementation of the new system of animal identification and the control of animal movements. Rest assured that the FVO report will be made available to the Parliament in accordance with the standard procedures.
In light of certain shortcomings identified during recent missions, the Commission has requested that the Brazilian authorities provide regular auditable evidence of the rectification of the remaining deficiencies. The FVO has scheduled further missions to Brazil, within the year, to ensure that these deficiencies are correctly addressed by the Brazilian authorities. The Commission has informed the Brazilian authorities that they have until the end of 2007 to address the remaining deficiencies. The Commission is ready to propose any additional measure that is necessary to protect the EU consumers.
