Restrictions on Brazilian beef imports by the European Commission later today could mean that as few as 300 farms there will be allowed to export beef here.
Final details of the restrictions were agreed last night and the commission will endorse the plan by the health and consumer affairs commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, today.
The issue will then go to a meeting of the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCA), which will draw up regulations to cover the partial ban.
At that meeting, the Irish representatives, on the instructions of the Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, will question the commission on why, in light of its own findings, a complete ban on beef imports is not being put in place, a spokesman for her said last night in Brussels.
The regulations are expected to become law on January 30th next but in the meantime, Brazilian imports will be allowed into the European Union and beef in transit will continue to arrive until March 15th next.
The Fine Gael spokesman on agriculture, Michael Creed, said he was disappointed that a full ban was not being put in place.
"I am disappointed that the EU Commission is refusing to bring in a total ban on Brazilian beef, even though its own Food and Veterinary Office missions have shown chronic, ongoing failures to meet EU production standards and foot-and-mouth is endemic in that country," Mr Creed said.
The president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Pádraig Walshe, said the EU was imposing the restrictions because of the fear generated by the Food and Veterinary Office mission in November.
Mr Walshe said he would judge the outcome of the commission proposals against the principle of equivalent standards for product, whether produced within the EU or imported.
The Sinn Féin agriculture spokesman, Martin Ferris, said the Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, had performed a "U-turn" on the issue, which he welcomed.
He said the Minister had been opposing any attempt to ban Brazilian beef but clearly now had taken on board the concerns of Irish farmers.