Secret Report on Brazilian Beef Danger Draws Protest

IRELAND - IFA National Livestock Chairman John Bryan and members of the National Livestock Committee have commenced a sit-in protest at the EU Commission offices in Molesworth Street in Dublin demanding the immediate release of an EU report on Brazilian beef which has being withheld for the last 6 months

31 October 2007

2 minute read

Europe

John Bryan said the failure of EU Health & Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou to release the report on the last FVO mission to Brazil, which was undertaken as far back as last spring, raises serious question marks as to why the findings have been withheld for so long. He said EU consumers are entitled to straight answers as to why the Commission has withheld the report, especially when the Commission is on record as accepting that there are serious deficiencies with Brazilian standards.

The IFA livestock leader said “at this stage, the six months delay by Commissioner Kyprianou undermines the credibility of the report and public confidence in the process, particularly when the EU Commission has a stated political agenda to continue with the importation of beef from Brazil which clearly fails to meet EU standards. He said there is a widespread belief among livestock farmers that there is a cover-up regarding the double standards on Brazilian beef imports.”

John Bryan said the IFA President Padraig Walshe has written to Commissioner Kyprianou last week proposing that an IFA independent veterinarian would accompany the Food & Veterinary Office (FVO) on the forthcoming inspection mission to Brazil. He said this was necessary to bring more transparency and openness to the procedures adopted by the EU Commission.

The IFA livestock leader said the facts are Foot and Mouth Disease is endemic in Brazil. The failure of Brazil to meet European standards has been well documented. Cattle traceability and movement controls are unreliable or non-existent. Border controls and FMD controls are ineffective.

John Bryan said in the European Parliament in early October Commissioner Kyprianou was forced to admit that “the Commission have identified serious weaknesses and deficiencies with traceability, FMD and food safety controls in Brazil”. He said the Commissioner stated that “if the situation with Brazil does not improve, the EU will take the necessary action including the implementation of a ban on beef imports by the end of the year.