Written answers

Tuesday, 17 October 2006

Department of Agriculture and Food

Food Safety Standards

7:00 pm

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress made by the Brazilian authorities in producing and implementing an action plan or action plans to address the deficiencies in Brazil's animal health and public health control systems, traceability and certification procedures which the EU's Food and Veterinary Office found during its visits to Brazil in the second half of 2005; if Brazil provided, by the 11 July 2006 deadline, an action plan for addressing identified deficiencies in its residue's monitoring system, as well as the 2006 residue monitoring plan, and the 2005 report on the implementation of its previous residue monitoring plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32876/06]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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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 a 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 Brazilian competent authorities. These reports, as well as all previous FVO reports on inspection of third countries' controls for export, may be accessed from the EU Commission's website.

The reports comment on the structure, organisation and tasks of the Brazilian Competent Authorities and have listed a number of recommendations to the authorities to address deficiencies recorded in the course of the FVO audits. The Commission has confirmed to my Department that the action plans in question have been received.

Brazil provided information on residue monitoring in June 2006. This is the subject of ongoing discussions at the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCOFCAH) on which my Department is represented.

A corrective action plan was received from the Brazilian Authorities in August this year and following assessment, measures in relation to beef, horsemeat and aquaculture were deemed acceptable. The Commission has 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.

The Commission indicated to Ireland that a further FVO mission to Brazil is being planned to take place in the first quarter of 2007. On traceability the Commission has taken into account the fact that the animal health mission concluded that traceability was guaranteed now for exports.

I have taken every opportunity to remind the Commission of the importance of having the same standards, particularly in relation to all exporting countries, including Brazil, and my Department will continue to closely monitor the position.

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