MEP slams ‘arrogance’ on Brazil beef standards

May 8 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal

A TORY Euro-MP has hit out at Brazilian politicians after becoming angered by their attitude to meat health and safety standards.

Neil Parish, just back from the country, claimed he had been met with arrogance and indifference over the EU-wide ban on Brazilian beef imports imposed by the European Commission in February. The trade blockade followed damning reports last year by the Irish Farmers Association and the EU Food and Veterinary Office about the state of hygiene standards and animal health controls in the country.

The National Farmers Union has consistently raised concerns about beef coming from Brazil. Areas of the country have foot-and-mouth disease and exports to the EU are restricted to other parts of the country.

A spokesman for the NFU said: “The traceability of meat from Brazil is in question. It is not clear that all meat being imported comes from those areas which are free of foot-and-mouth. Some of the meat could be from infected areas. We just want a level playing field with all meat sold in this country being subject to the same standards. ”

Mr Parish, chairman of the European Parliament Agriculture Committee, led a delegation to see if lax controls, including a lack of ear tags and no effective system of traceability for cattle, still existed on farms hoping to be allowed to export again to the EU.

He said the situation on farms was mixed – but the apathetic attitude of Brazilian politicians towards the problem left little chance of a quick return to normal beef trade between Brazil and the EU. He said: “Some Brazilian farms are good and some not so good. However, what concerned me most was the arrogance of some Brazilian politicians, who did not seem to want to work within the rules that the EU and Brazil had jointly agreed to. Their bullish and indifferent attitude to our concerns does a disservice to Brazilian farmers, many of whom are ready to take the steps needed to meet our regulations. We are not going to negotiate on this. I am very happy to see Brazilian beef imported into the EU, but any meat that does come in must meet our standards.”