Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

Common standards in relation to traceability, animal health and welfare and consumer protection apply throughout the EU. These are set out in a range of food safety, consumer protection and veterinary legislation and are subject to inspection by member states own authorities as well as by the Food and Veterinary Office of the EU Commission.

My concern is that producers in some WTO member countries are not required to observe exactly the same requirements and as a result do not incur comparable costs as EU producers. I have notified the Commission of my concerns in this area, in particular in respect of imports of beef from third countries.

The Commission has indicated that the purpose of the legislation is not to impose on exporting third countries a system of guarantees that is equal to the EU system but to ensure the exporting third countries provide guarantees that are equivalent to the standards applied in the EU.

The Doha declaration which provides the political framework for the current WTO round of negotiations states that non-trade concerns, such as these, should be taken into account in the final agreement. As part of the ongoing WTO negotiations I am seeking practical recognition for the additional costs associated with these non-trade concerns.

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