Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 February 2004
104 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the quality assurance procedures that apply to meat and poultry from Brazil; the procedures in place for traceability of meat from Brazil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4932/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetailed EU legislation lays down the conditions that member states must apply to the imports of products of animal origin from third countries. This harmonised legislation imposes a series of health and supervisory requirements designed to ensure that imported products meet standards at least equivalent to those required for production in, and trade between, member states. All meat imports must come from third countries or areas of third countries approved for export to the EU.
To be an approved country it must appear on a list drawn up and updated on the basis of EU audits and guarantees given by the competent authority of the exporting country; have veterinary controls equivalent to those applicable in the EU, particularly in terms of legislation, hygiene conditions, animal health status, veterinary medicines controls, zoonoses controls and other food law and a residues programme approved by the European Commission must be in place. On this basis, Brazil has been approved for trade with the European Community in beef, sheep meat, horsemeat and poultry meat.
The meat must be sourced from establishments that are approved and must bear an EU approved health mark. Exporting establishments must have standards equivalent to the requirements for EU export establishments; effective control systems and supervision by the competent authorities; traceability-labelling in accordance with the systems approved by the FVO and accepted and notified to the EU member states.
The food and veterinary office, FVO, of the EU carries out inspections to ensure that only establishments that meet hygiene and health standards equivalent to those operating within the EU are approved. Where the FVO considers that public health requirements are not being met by an approved establishment in a third country, the establishment may be removed from the EU approved list. If outbreaks of animal diseases occur in a third country approval to export to the EU is suspended for the infected regions of the country, or the whole country, as appropriate, until the disease risk has been eliminated.
Meat may only be imported into the European Community through a border inspection post, BIP, that has been approved by the FVO. That office also carries out monitoring and inspection of member states' BIPs to ensure that the conditions for import of animal products into Europe, provided under harmonised EU legislation, are being correctly applied. In Ireland, border inspection posts which are approved for administering checks on direct imports of meat from third countries are Dublin Port, frozen, chilled and ambient temperature animal products, and Shannon Airport, chilled and ambient only.
Importers of meat must be registered with my Department. Importers must give advance notice of the arrival of meat to the BIP. Imported meat must be accompanied by the appropriate commercial documentation showing country and approval number of the establishment of production as well as a health certificate conforming to the models set down in EU legislation. The meat must also be labelled. All consignments undergo a documentary and identity check and physical checks are carried out at frequencies laid down in EU law. Once imported meat has met all the required conditions it is released for free circulation within the community. Copies of the BIP clearance document and the health certificate must accompany the consignment to its destination. Imports failing to comply with these veterinary control checks may be detained for further examination. If non-compliance is established they are returned to the exporting country or destroyed.
Where there are concerns with regard to the effectiveness of controls being operated in an approved third country the Commission, in consultation with the standing committee on animal health and the food chain, may introduce specific controls by means of a safeguard measure to ensure the protection of human and animal health. In 2002, the presence of nitrofuran, a growth promoting substance, was detected in poultry meat imported from that country and this presented a potential risk for human health. The food and veterinary office, FVO, of the European Commission assessed the controls that were in place in that country and recommended that as a safeguard measure all imports into the EU be sampled and tested. Accordingly, in October 2002, following a decision of European Commission's standing committee on the food chain and animal health, I introduced the requirement for the sampling and testing of all direct imports into Ireland of poultry meat and poultry meat products from Brazil. Consignments may only be released when test results are clear.
Following a recent mission to Brazil, the FVO has assessed that the action plan put in by the Brazilian authorities to address the deficiencies is being implemented and enforced. The results of the checks carried out by the member states on direct imports have also shown improvement. No poultry meat from Brazil has tested positive for nitrofurans at any BIP in the EU since August 2003. With regard to this country, nitrofurans have not been detected in any samples taken at the BIPs from direct imports. In the circumstances, the standing committee has recommended to the Commission that the level of testing for nitrofurans be reduced to 20%. When the Commission publishes its decision, I will amend the current level of controls that are applied in this country accordingly.
