Vol. 554 No. 5
235 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the plans or representations his Department has made to re-open the world markets for the live export trade; the meetings he has had with the Egyptian Government on the matter; the concerns he has in relation to EU laws in regard to the transporting of live animals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15441/02]
It is my policy and that of the Government to ensure Irish livestock or beef exporters have unrestricted access to world markets. Intensive efforts are being made by my Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and An Bord Bia to achieve this objective.
It has been my experience that where restrictions on Irish exports of cattle or beef exist because of concerns about BSE, the most effective way of addressing this has been to underpin political and diplomatic contacts by demonstrating in practice to the relevant experts from those countries the controls throughout the sector. This approach was adopted successfully in relation to Russia and Egypt and is being continued with regard to a number of other potentially significant markets. As an example, my Department, with the assistance of An Bord Bia, is this week hosting a conference in Dublin on food safety and consumer protection in the beef sector aimed specifically at important markets in the Gulf region. I am pleased that the conference is being attended by veterinary and food safety experts from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The decision by the Egyptian authorities to lift the ban on Irish beef imports was a welcome development for Irish cattle and beef sectors and I and my officials are working with the Egyptian authorities and the industry in general to regain our traditional position in that valuable market. In regard to the live trade, there has been a resumption in trade in younger animals to markets in the EU such as Spain and Italy. The trade in finished animals to Lebanon is also continuing since that market reopened to us following the lifting of FMD restrictions.
On 11 March 2002, the EU scientific committee on animal health and animal welfare adopted a report on the welfare of animals – horses, pigs, sheep and cattle – during transport. The Commission is drafting a proposal for the amendment of Council Directive 91/628 on the welfare of animals during transport, which will include some of the recommendations stated in the report. The draft Commission proposal is not yet available to member states so I am not in a position to give a conclusive opinion upon it. However, live exports are a vital component of the Irish livestock trade. I have always insisted on the stringent application of the existing controls rather than the imposition of further restrictions on journey times and controls that are difficult to apply. I will continue to support measures which facilitate live exports in a manner which ensures the welfare of animals.
