IT LOOKS highly probable that the European Commission will impose at least a partial ban on imports of beef from Brazil following mounting concerns about the perceived lack of control over foot-and-mouth disease, the inadequacy of the vaccination programme and the lack of full traceability on cattle movements.
At a meeting of the European Commission in Strasbourg yesterday, Markos Kyprianou, the commissioner in charge of consumer affairs, indicated that a formal decision can be expected early next week. Despite damning reports from a variety of sources, in
cluding an in-depth Irish investigation which took place in May, Kyprianou has previously been unwilling to invoke sanctions on Brazil. Last year Brazil exported 333,000 tonnes of beef to the EU of which around 30,000 tonnes landed in the UK.
However, Kyprianou has now been forced to concede following a recent visit to Brazil by senior officials from the commission's food and veterinary office, (FVO).
John Bryan, the chairman of the Irish Farmers' Association's livestock committee, said: "FMD is endemic in Brazil and I remain convinced that only a total ban would fully safeguard the European cattle herd. The admission by the commission and the FVO that there are serious problems on standards in Brazil leaves Kyprianou with no option but to impose a ban on imports of Brazilian beef."
Brazil has repeatedly attempted to play down the issue. The reality is that before the confirmation of FMD over two years ago and the supposed ban on exports to the EU from the three provinces involved, there has been very little change in the pattern of trade. Before October 2005 the three provinces accounted for 60 per cent of all exports from Brazil. In the interim exports have tended to increase, casting doubts on the validity of movement records.
But Rob Metcalfe, the director of the Brazilian beef information service in London, still maintains that his employers are in the right. In a recent letter to The Scotsman he said: "For the record, there are no issues of human and animal health and safety surrounding beef exports to the UK. Those campaigning against imports are using arguments to disguise their real agenda, which we believe is trade protectionism."
That does not sit well with John Cameron, the president of the Scottish Beef Cattle Association (SBCA). He said: "In August an outbreak of FMD in England brought our industry to a complete standstill and Scottish farmers fully complied with the subsequent movement restrictions. Brazil has continued to send beef to Europe from regions which are not up to our standards.
"We understand that Commissioner Kyprianou has examined the evidence of non- compliance and the failure of Brazil to rectify weaknesses identified more than a year ago, and will surely now place severe restrictions on Brazilian exporters."
Nigel Miller, vice-president of NFU Scotland, added: "I had hoped that the Commission would have reached a decision sooner, given the length of time since the latest breaches of the rules were uncovered. We must hope now that the issue is not fudged any longer.
"The recent reports have shown that every barrier mechanism to prevent the spread of disease has been breached in a serious way. We cannot allow the efforts of European farmers to be undermined by this."
