Irish Call For Total EU Ban on Brazilian Beef

IRELAND - The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has written to the EU Commission calling for an immediate and complete halt on Brazilian beef imports.
calendar icon 28 August 2009
clock icon 1 minute read

According to Meatinfo.co.uk, IFA president Padriag Walshe wrote to EU Commissioner for Health & Consumer Protection, Androulla Vassiliou, asking him to take action to halt what he described as the “failed Brazilian process” of clearing farms for export to the EU.

Mr Walshe also wrote to Ireland’s 12 new recently elected MEPs requesting that the pursue the matter with the Commission so that action is taken to impose a ban on Brazilian beef into the EU.

In his letter to Commissioner Vasilliou, the IFA president said that the most recent Food and Veterinary Office report revealed a “litany of failures” made by Brazil. He said that half of the holdings inspected by the FVO failed to meet EU standards on registration, traceability and movement controls and repeated accusations that unapproved beef from Brazil has entered the EU.

Mr Walsh also raised the fact that the Brazilian beef industry has come under pressure over the alleged deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. He said if the Commission fails to act on this occasion, it will be guilty of "making a mockery" of EU standards and turning a blind eye to the huge environmental damage caused by illegal deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

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