Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on the fact that the Brazilian laboratories tasked with ensuring Brazilian beef for export is free from banned hormones and illegal levels of pharmaceutical residues do not appear, according to recent evidence given to the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food by an EU official, to be capable of fulfilling this role; the impact such incapacity has on the acceptability of guarantees by the Brazilian Government provided to the European Commission that its standards are at least equivalent to those in operation for EU food producers; her views on whether it is time to ban the importation of Brazilian beef into the EU; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33030/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I have been in regular contact with Commissioner Kyprianou on the issue of Brazilian beef and he has assured me that the Commission will not hesitate to take the appropriate protection measures if a product, imported from a third country or produced in the domestic market, represents a risk to the health of EU consumers, livestock or plants. Indeed, the Commission official who attended the joint Oireachtas committee recently gave the same assurance to the committee.

An EU Food and Veterinary Office, FVO, inspection to evaluate animal health and public health control systems, traceability and certification procedures in place in Brazil was carried out in September of last year. In December the FVO completed the second mission that year to evaluate the control of residues and contaminants in live animals and animal products, including controls on veterinary medical products in that country. The FVO recently published its findings following a period of consultation with the Brazilians.

The reports comment on the structure, organisation and tasks of the Brazilian competent authorities and listed a number of recommendations to the authorities to address deficiencies recorded in the course of the audits. The Commission has confirmed to my Department that action plans to implement the various recommendations have been received. Brazil provided information on residue monitoring in June 2006 and a corrective action plan was received from the Brazilian authorities in August. Following assessment the Commission deemed acceptable the measures on beef, horse meat and aquaculture. They had already taken action against Brazil because of its poor performance on residue levels in certain products and some products have been withdrawn from Brazil's residue plan for export to the EU, including eggs and egg products, milk and milk products, pig meat, ovine and caprine meat and honey.

With regard to laboratories, I understand the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food was assured by the Commission that there is no risk from legally imported beef from Brazil and that further plans for upgrading equipment and technical training methods are accurate and realistic. The Commission official also indicated that a further FVO inspection on residues in Brazil is being planned to take place in the first quarter of 2007 to verify the implementation of the corrective measures, and they have also scheduled another animal and public health mission to Brazil for the early part of next year.

I will continue to take every opportunity to remind the Commission of the importance of having the same standards, particularly on exporting countries, including Brazil, and my Department and I will continue to closely monitor the position.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I thank the Minister for the answer to my question. The basis of my question was the laboratories. All evidence available on the FVO reports, the most recent one of which is from 2005, would suggest that the laboratories are anything but competent or proficient in terms of what they are delivering. That underpins every result that comes out of those laboratories. They are not accredited. There is no proficiency testing. Basically, they are not up to speed. I ask the Minister what credibility we can give to results we get from those laboratories?

There has been much debate on imports from Brazil. There is a serious issue for us if we accept test results that come from laboratories which are not proficient and up to standard. For instance, one of the reports stated that the method was not fit for the purpose of confirmation for one of the tests that was carried out. The tests, while they are being done, are fine and I am sure they get a result. In that particular instance the method was not suitable for the tests that were carried out, which therefore negated all the value of the testing done. Will the Minister comment on that and on the proficiency of the laboratories?

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I read with interest the debate that took place between all the members of the committee with DG SANCO, and Commissioner Kyprianou has put in place a number of initiatives that will be evaluated in January. I took the opportunity to express concerns with Commissioner Kyprianou, both in speaking with him at Council and in forwarding to him all sorts of documentation and press articles, to which he adverted in the consultations that took place. If one was to take this at face value, one would still have concerns, but I must take into consideration the competent authority, which is the FVO, the assurances being given, a review in January and that I have been advised, in discussions with the Commissioner, that he personally will travel to Brazil on the basis of concerns expressed.

Ireland is the only member state that has expressed concerns formally to the Commissioner on this issue. This is surprising, especially when many member states are consumer orientated. I will continue to press vociferously, and will be vehement in pursuing guarantees that have been given by the Brazilian authorities. The DG answered the committee on the basis of concerns raised by the committee, but Deputy Upton is correct that we must ensure that what was agreed in August last will be forthcoming.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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My concern hinges on the fact that it is the FVO report that has given us this information and the FVO officials are the ones who are highly critical of the laboratory facilities and of the standards applied. Mr. Medelin, at his recent visit to the committee, stated: "I am advised by my experts that the Brazilian scheme is realistic and on the right track." It is nice to hear that it is on the right track, but we have debated this issue for as long as I can remember. It seems that the FVO officials go in and do the best job they can. Their reports are good. When they returned, two years later or whenever, hardly any of the recommendations they made previously were put in place and they were equally critical. It certainly raises concerns about the assurances we are getting from the Brazilian authorities.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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It is on that basis that I will continue to express concerns. Deputy Upton probably read a retort by the Brazilian authorities to something I said during the summer on this issue. Equivalence and equity are the two English words which one is citing. Assurances are given by the competent authority, be it the Commission or the FVO, on the safety of meat. I will continue to raise this issue, as will all my ministerial colleagues, in further discussions with the Commissioner.