The European Union may ban Brazilian meat imports if the South American agricultural giant does not improve food safety standards, the EU's health chief said today.
Irish farmers have been pressing the European Commission to get tough with their competitors in Brazil for what they say are substandard conditions. Scottish and Welsh farmers' organisations have also voiced concerns.
European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou
"We do identify weaknesses in Brazil and we have put pressure on Brazil to respond," European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou told members of the European Parliament today.
"If the situation does not improve in the time frame, which is by the end of the year, we will take whatever measures necessary, including the possibility of a ban," he said.
The Brazilian government and the country's farming industry deny the claims of use of illegal growth hormones and say Brazil is implementing the recommendations of EU animal health officials who visited the country in March.
Speaking from Brussels, IFA President Pádraig Walshe said procrastination on a ban was leaving the EU "exposed to unnecessary risk". He said an assessment of the risk undertaken by the veterinary expert Dr Kevin Dodd has concluded that the EC's risk assessment is "flawed and inadequate".
Fine Gael MEPs Avril Doyle and Colm Burke today called on Mr Kyprianou to act immediately to protect consumers.
"I am convinced that there is a serious argument and sound scientific case for banning Brazilian beef imports due to the lack of traceability, the availability of veterinary medicines without prescription, and the risk of the use of growth hormones," Ms Doyle said.
Sinn Féin's Martin Ferris called on Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan to support a ban. The Government has so far rejected calls by Irish farmers to lobby for a ban.
"It is extremely disappointing and puzzling that a time when there is a mounting consensus in favour of banning Brazilian beef, that the Irish Government should continue to support the importation of this beef into the EU," he said.