Ireland yesterday voted for a total ban on the import of beef from Brazil when the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health met to endorse restrictions on imports in Brussels.
The Irish representative, acting on instructions from the Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan, opposed a partial ban which will see imports allowed from approved farms which meet EU import requirements.
Ireland was the only country to oppose the new regime, which comes into force at the end of January under much stricter conditions including animal identification.
The list of approved farms will be established on the basis of information to be communicated by the competent authorities in Brazil. The Food and Veterinary Office will carry out inspections to verify that all EU requirements are met.
Consignments of de-boned and matured beef which were certified and dispatched prior to the entry into force of the decision will be allowed to be imported until March 15th, 2008, a commission statement said.
The decision came following the most recent food and veterinary inspections in Brazil which identified a number of serious and repeated deficiencies in Brazil's animal health systems.
The commission statement said that despite a series of warnings from it after previous inspections, the Brazilian authorities failed to take the appropriate measures to correct these problems and to fully meet EU requirements.
The Irish Farmers' Association president Padraig Walshe, whose organisation led the campaign against imports of Brazilian beef products, said only an outright ban would fully safeguard the EU from the risk of foot-and-mouth disease.
However, he said the restrictions decided upon for Brazil, particularly the requirement that all holdings for export to the EU must be approved and listed publicly, "was a significant step forward".
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association, welcomed the Minister for Agriculture's call for a total ban on Brazilian beef and said the EU could no longer tolerate double-standards of production, a very high one in Europe and virtually no controls in Brazil.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) president Malcolm Thompson said yesterday's EU Commission decision to impose very limited restrictions on Brazilian beef undermined both farmers and consumers across Europe. He also called for a total ban and said the ICSA would continue to fight for that to be implemented.
Fine Gael agriculture spokesperson, Michael Creed said he was disappointed the Government was unsuccessful in securing a total ban on Brazilian beef.
He accused Ms Coughlan of trying to create the impression she was always in favour of a total ban, when she had refused to support one until the 11th hour.