Vol. 440 No. 6
1 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry his views on whether it is acceptable to have one law on growth promoters for European Union beef producers and another for United States beef producers in the wake of the GATT which will allow United States beef to be sold here and throughout the EU; and the plans, if any, he has to resolve this anomaly.
Fresh meat from animals to which hormonal substances prohibited within the European Union have been administered may not be imported to member states. To provide for equal treatment of EU meat producers with their competitors from third countries, the EU decided that third countries trading meat into the Union must submit plans giving guarantees for the checking of residues for controlled substances equivalent to those operating in member states. Consequently, imports of beef from the USA are restricted to consignments where guarantees as to non-application of such substances are satisfactory. The recently negotiated GATT includes a framework for dealing with sanitary and phytosanitary issues in the context of international trade. The Union will be assessing the compatibility of the hormone ban with these measures in the course of its examination of the implementation arrangements for GATT commitments generally.
I support the Minister's efforts to put a stop to the misuse of illegal growth promoters but is it fair that our farmers must compete with countries who use them? The Minister stated that under the terms of the GATT countries exporting meat to the EU must meet certain standards. As an EU member state are we carrying out spot checks or testing or is it only the country of origin that carries out such tests?
I wish to facilitate the Deputy in eliciting information but I hope the questioning will not be too long and devoid of statements.
Is the meat coming into the EU from Argentina, Uruguay and other countries tested within the EU?
I wish to give some background information on this whole area. Third countries exporting meat to the EU must provide a testing system acceptable to the EU. The compatibility of the EU's hormone ban with the SPS discipline of the new GATT has not been determined and it would be premature to anticipate any decision on that matter. The GATT will come into force on 1 January 1995 and in the meantime Commission policy is to seek further reductions in relation to difficulties with the United States. We seek compatible conditions in the testing of residues and the production process of third countries exporting their product to the EU.
Are we carrying out testing within the EU or are we depending totally on the tests by the countries exporting meat to the EU?
My understanding is that EU missions travel to these countries and review all features of the process that is part of the plan supplied by individual countries.
