IFA To Commisioner; Honour Commitment, Ban Brazilian Beef

IRELAND - Irish Farmers' Association National Livestock Committee Chairman John Bryan said the EU Commissioner for Health & Consumer Protection Markos Kyprianou must honour the commitment he gave to the European Parliament earlier this year and ban Brazilian beef imports now that the FVO has confirmed that Brazil fails to meet EU standards.

4 December 2007

2 minute read

Europe

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"Commissioner Kyprianou has no choice other than to impose a ban on Brazilian beef. If the Commissioner continues to apply double standards on imports, he will lose all credibility."

IFA National Livestock Committee Chairman John Bryan

Mr. Bryan said the Commissioner’s response on Brazil is a key test of his independence and credibility on this issue.

John Bryan said the latest reports from Brazil indicate that the Brazilians are offering to remove completely restricted states from the European supply chain under regionalisation. He said this is clear admission that their traceability and movement control system is a shambles.

John Bryan said Commissioner Kyprianou’s own veterinary experts in the FVO had now made it abundantly clear that Brazilian beef fails to meet the necessary standards required by the EU and European consumers. He said “the FVO has made it clear Brazil fails on foot and mouth disease controls, fails on tagging, traceability and movement controls and fails on animal health controls. Commissioner Kyprianou has no choice other than to impose a ban on Brazilian beef. If the Commissioner continues to apply double standards on imports, he will lose all credibility.”

The IFA livestock leader said Commissioner Kyprianou is now under intense scrutiny from members of the European Parliament and the public as to his response on Brazil. The Commissioner is on the record as saying if the situation in Brazil does not improve then “the EU will take the necessary action including the implementation of a ban of beef imports by the end of the year.”

John Bryan said the Commissioner now has the detailed evidence of serious deficiencies in Brazilian controls from his own veterinary experts and he cannot continue to expose the EU to unnecessary risks.