Mary Wallace (Meath, Fianna Fail)

Harmonized EU regulations have been introduced to control the import and trade in meat and milk products. Imports of these products, including the imports for personal use, are banned, other than where products are presented at approved border inspection posts.

My Department has a number of measures in place to raise awareness of these regulations. Transport operators who bring passengers from third countries into the EU are required to bring the regulations, including the ban, to the attention of passengers. Announcements are made on airlines and posters are on display at arrivals halls in airports and at disembarkation points for sea passengers. Amnesty bins have been provided in the main airports for surrender of any animal product that has been inadvertently carried. My Department has posted information on its website and transport operators, foreign embassies accredited to this country and Irish embassies abroad have been requested to inform travellers to this country of the position regarding personal imports of these products and invited to include a link to my Department's web page.

My Department also liaises with Customs and Excise in respect of personal and commercial import controls of animal and food products. Officials from my Department are deployed at border inspection posts and other disembarkation points to carry out passenger interviews and bag searches on a random basis. This approach is particularly useful in the identification of passengers coming here from third countries, most of whom arrive here through hub airports in other EU member states. Customs and Excise and departmental officials co-operate locally at these points. Customs and Excise also operates controls in respect of the worldwide ban on import of animal and animal products of endangered species. The countries listed by the Deputy are those where my Department's officers intercepted the highest level of personal import of these products during 2005. I assure the Deputy that our controls continue to operate in 2006 and that satisfactory measures are in place to prevent illegal personal imports. My Department will continue to review its controls in this area.

The Commission also monitors operation of personal import controls by the member states through its food and veterinary office. It is considering proposals including the introduction of a requirement for a written declaration to be made by each third country originating passenger concerning meat and milk products in their personal possession.

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