Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The Deputy asks if our attention has been drawn to the report by the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office recording ongoing failures by Brazil to meet EU standards. I am aware of the report to which the Deputy refers. The Commission's Food and Veterinary Office recently published its final report of a follow-up mission carried out between 25 February and 13 March 2008 to evaluate measures that the Brazilian authorities introduced to address serious shortcomings on cattle traceability with regard to exports to the EU.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission proposed severe restrictions on Brazilian imports with effect from February of this year. However, the former Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, directed Department officials attending the standing committee to vote against the Commission's proposal and to call for an outright ban on beef imports from Brazil. While a complete ban was not agreed, the effect of the Commission's proposals was to limit exports of beef from Brazil to a relatively small number of herds. Based on this latest report, I have arranged for my Department to write to the Commission to have this matter urgently discussed at the European Commission's standing committee on the food chain and animal health.

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