EU gives Brazil ultimatum on beef

The European commission has taken action to allay fears over the conditions in which beef imported from Brazil is produced.

The executive has given Brazil until the end of the year to correct deficiencies or face a possible EU import ban.

EU health commissioner Markos Kyprianou said, “If the Brazilian authorities tackle, as requested, the deficiencies the commission can see no justification for a ban.

“But the commission has informed Brazil that if they do not do so, we will reconsider the authorisation of beef exports.”

The move comes in the wake of recent calls for an outright ban by Scottish and Irish beef farmers due to the presence of foot and mouth disease in some areas of Brazil.

Their representatives took their case to parliament’s agriculture committee and petitions committee on Monday.

The commission announcement was  broadly welcomed on Tuesday by Scottish Nationalist Party MEP Alyn Smith who said the executive had been “rattled” into acting by recent pressure.

“I welcome the commission’s response but it is not enough. The commission knows Brazil is not meeting standards but it still opposes a ban. I and Scotland’s beef farmers strongly disagree,” he said.

Irish centre-right deputy Mairead McGuinness said the commission’s ultimatum was an “important first step” towards affording greater protection for European beef farmers.

But UK Tory MEP Neil Parish, chair of parliament’s agriculture committee, accused the commission of being “in denial” about the safety of Brazilian beef imports.

“The credibility of the commission is at stake here,” he said.

“The EU requires its own beef producers to abide by stringent standards, particularly after outbreaks of foot and mouth and BSE in recent years.

“It is wrong both to consumers and farmers to force our own producers to comply with these standards while turning a blind eye to substandard products from Brazil.”

Parish added, “The committee was not satisfied with the answers being supplied by the commission and is calling a special meeting after the recess to which we will invite both the agriculture and health commissioners.”

The committee of professional agricultural organisations in the EU has also argued for tougher action.

Secretary general Pekka Pesonen said, "The commission must immediately increasee the frequency of physical checks for Brazilian beef imports.

"If these serious failures are found to be widespread, the EU must be ready to introduce further measures, such as a complete ban, without hesitation."

Australia, the US, Japan, South Korea and Russia have all introduced bans on Brazilian beef imports until standards improve.

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