John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Naughten for raising this important issue. An outbreak of foot and mouth disease in cattle and pigs was confirmed on a farm in the Eldorado district of Mato Grosso do Sul in the southern part of Brazil on 8 October 2005. This development was communicated to the OIE, the World Organisation for Animal Health, on 9 October 2005. The OlE indicated that the disease virus type is currently unknown and that the Brazilian authorities have implemented controls in the district where the outbreak was detected and in contiguous districts to prevent any movement of animals and animal products.

The European Commission assessed these measures and today presented a proposal to the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, on which my Department was represented, to suspend imports of de-boned and matured beef, not alone from the regions of Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana but also São Paulo. This will be effected by amendment of Council Decision 79/542/EC. The implementation of today's decision will have a significant impact on exports of beef from Brazil to the EU.

In regard to trade in agricultural products, the EU generally applies the so-called regionalisation principle which allows trade to continue from unaffected regions. In practice, this means that where there is a disease outbreak, restrictions on trade are applied to products from the affected region while trade can continue from other unaffected parts of that country or region. This principle was applied to trade here during the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001.

Detailed EU legislation lays down the conditions member states must apply to the production of and trade in products of animal origin, including meat, as well as to imports of these products from third countries. It is a requirement that animal products imported from third countries meet standards at least equivalent to those required for production in and trade between member states. All such imports must come from third countries or areas of third countries approved for export to the EU.

I am satisfied that the action agreed today is the appropriate response to the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Brazil. We will keep the position under close review in conjunction with the European Commission and other member states. Council Decision 79/542/EC establishes the sanitary conditions for the importation into the EU of certain live animals and the meat and meat products of such animals. It details the areas of third countries that are approved for the production and export of animals and meat products to the EU as well as the model health certification that must be provided by the competent authority of the exporting country.

The Commission's caution in proposing to extend the scope of the measure to include the region of São Paulo is to be commended. The Commission made this proposal on the basis of concerns in regard to the possible movement of animals from the area where the outbreak was reported. The Commission's proposal was adopted by the standing committee this afternoon. Accordingly, beef produced in the regions and from cattle slaughtered since 29 September 2005 may not now be traded.

The measures have immediate effect throughout the EU and are being applied to imports by my Department's approved border inspection posts, BIPs. Imported meat can only enter the EU through an approved BIP where it is subjected to veterinary examination and public health checks in accordance with EU requirements. Each member state is responsible for carrying out the BIP checks on its territory. The EU Food and Veterinary Office, monitors the application of import controls by BIPs throughout the EU.

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