Rules concerning animal and public health controls on imports of animal products into EU member states are, in the main, laid down at EU level. These harmonised control measures, together with inspections and reports carried out by the EU's food and veterinary office, are designed to ensure that such imports come from establishments and countries that meet hygiene and health standards equivalent to those operating within the EU.
Products of animal origin may only be imported into the EU from premises which have been approved by the European Commission. In cases where the food and veterinary office is not satisfied that public health requirements are being met, countries and premises may be removed from the EU approved list by Commission decision.
In addition, EU law requires that animal-based products imported from third countries must be processed through a border inspection post in the first EU member state into which they are introduced. Such products must be accompanied by appropriate veterinary health certification issued by the authorities in the country from which they are exported and are subject to identity and documentary checks. A proportion of such imports are subjected to physical checks, which may include sampling and analysis. These are routine operational matters and it is not normally the practice to report on them.
The EU Commission may, from time to time, require additional checks on particular products from particular countries of origin where there is specific cause for concern. One of the recent examples of such a decision is the current Commission decision requiring member states to test all consignments of poultry meat and certain fisheries products from Thailand for nitrofurans, a substance which is banned in the European Union. Where circumstances warrant it, the Commission may make a decision to ban such imports altogether. My Department is rigorous in the application of EU rules in relation to all such imports.
Testing carried out in line with safeguard measures is reported to the European Commission and displayed on its rapid alert system. This is a mechanism for advising member states of action to be taken with regard to contaminated products.
On the question of personal imports, the Minister introduced Statutory Instrument 390 in July 2002 to ensure that only animal products that meet relevant EU and national legislation can be imported into Ireland in personal baggage. Products which do not conform to the relevant rules are seized and sent for immediate destruction.