March 25, 2008

EU urged to end US poultry import ban

The EU is being urged by its industry commissioner to end its import ban on US poultry.

Guenter Verheugen of Germany, the EU's commissioner for enterprise and industry has reportedly wrote to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso that the issue may affect whether the US would judge the EU as "pro-American".

The EU in 1997 prohibited the imports treated with chlorinated water, citing human health risk. The European Food Safety Authority is expected to release a report on the matter in the coming weeks.

However, Verheugen said the EU should be ready to come up with an alternative solution should the result be mixed or negative, he said.

A USDA foreign agricultural report predicted that the EU will likely become a net importer of broiler meat in 2008. Exports are expected to decline in 2008 when compared with 2007, and broiler imports are expected to increase, a USDA foreign agricultural service report said.

The EU is expected to import 650,000 tonnes of broiler this year while exporting 620,000 tonnes.

Rising competition from low cost producers such as Brazil are likely to drive EU exports down further.