Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

The European Union has developed its own systems of traceability and animal welfare. Different systems operate in jurisdictions outside the control of the EU. We demand guarantees that the food products imported into the EU meet the relevant health and safety requirements.

The Minister, Deputy Coughlan, is the only Minister at the Council of Ministers to have raised the issue of the extra requirements for EU producers, to which we fully and wholeheartedly subscribe. In recent weeks, the Minister and I met Commissioner Mandelson on the World Trade Organisation negotiations and raised, in particular, the subject matter of Deputy Upton's question. The Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Wallace, and I met the French Agriculture Minister in Ireland some weeks ago. I met the Hungarian Secretary of State for Agriculture and the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, also met the Czech Minister for Agriculture in recent weeks.

Among the concerns we highlighted were the WTO negotiations, the issue of standards and the need for continued assessment, diligence and attention to the quality of product entering the European Union. We raised in particular the extra requirements and costs borne by producers due to the systems in place in the EU. At the WTO negotiations the Minister raised the need before the WTO talks conclude to compensate producers in regard to the tariff regime that will apply to agriculture products entering the EU.

In reply to a similar question from Deputy Upton in February last, I stated that as a result of the audit carried out by the Food and Veterinary Office of the EU, a number of recommendations were made by the European Commission to the standing committee on the food chain and animal health. Some of those recommendations were acted upon at that time. The EU was in further negotiations with the Brazilian authorities at that time in regard to certain concerns. In particular, only deboned and mature meat can come from specific areas of Brazil to the EU.

The concerns outlined are ones the Minister has highlighted alone at the Council of 25 Agriculture Ministers. At every opportunity that arises at EU level, in the Council of Ministers or at bilateral meetings with other Ministers for Agriculture throughout the Union, we raise these issues diligently and forcefully. It is an issue we will ensure is kept on the agenda.

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