December 14, 2007

 

EU considers tighter restrictions on Brazilian beef after vet inspections

 

 

The EU is considering tighter restrictions on Brazilian beef exports after its inspectors identified shortcomings in the country's animal health controls, an official said Thursday (Dec 14, 2007).

 

An EU ban is already in place on imports from three Brazilian states due to the presence of foot-and-mouth disease, and the bloc imposes strict safety controls on beef from other parts of the country.

 

"The European Commission is considering action, including increased restrictions and controls," EU spokeswoman Nina Papadoulaki said.

 

 However, a total ban was not being considered at this point.

 

The EU's executive office would decide by the end of next week what further action to take, after assessing health controls implemented by Brazil

 

EU inspectors were in Brazil in recent weeks and had reported problems with cattle traceability and inadequacy of the vaccination programme

 

Current EU regulations require cattle to be disease-free and located in a foot-and-mouth-free Brazilian state 90 days before slaughter. The slaughter must also be carried out in an EU approved abattoir with only matured and de-boned meat allowed.

 

The EU is an essential market for Brazil's beef exports, Nelmon Oliveira da Costa, the Livestock Inspection Department head at Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday.

 

Losing the European market would also put at risk business with other countries that would take their cue from the EU, he said. Brazil is toughening up GTA livestock transport certification rules, he added.

 

At a meeting of the European Commission in Strasbourg yesterday, Markos Kyprianou, the commissioner in charge of consumer affairs, indicated that a formal decision can be expected early next week.

 

Kyprianou has previously been unwilling to invoke sanctions on Brazil.

 

John Bryan, the chairman of the Irish Farmers' Association's livestock committee, charged that Brazil has repeatedly attempted to play down the issue.

 

There has been very little change before the confirmation of FMD over two years ago and after the supposed ban on exports to the EU from the three provinces involved, he said.

 

Before October 2005 the three provinces accounted for 60 per cent of all exports from Brazil. In the interim exports have tended to increase, casting doubts on the validity of movement records, Bryan said.

 

Scottish producers have long fumed at the separate standards that EU imposes on the UK and Brazilian beef.

 

An August outbreak of FMD in England brought the industry to a standstill because Scottish farmers fully complied with the subsequent movement restrictions, John Cameron, the president of the Scottish Beef Cattle Association said.

 

On the other hand, Brazil has continued to send beef to Europe from regions which are supposedly restricted.

 

However, in a recent letter to the press, Rob Metcalfe, the director of the Brazilian beef information service in London,  denied there were issues of human and animal health and safety surrounding beef exports to the UK, accusing those who used such arguments  of disguising their real agenda of trade protectionism.