A delegation of over 50 Irish people from the lamb production, processing and marketing sectors will attend a special event to promote Irish and European lamb in the European Parliament tonight ahead of the publication of two major reports on the sector.
The president of the European Parliament Hans Pottering, the EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, 25 MEPs and 200 representatives from the European lamb processors and sheep farming sectors will attend.
The chief executive of Bord Bia Aidan Cotter, whose organisation is a major sponsor of the event, has welcomed the lamb promotion gathering which is also being supported by Eblex, the English food agency and its French equivalent Interbev.
The sector, which is worth €300 million a year to the Irish economy, is holding the event to put pressure on the European Commission ahead of the publication of its new regulations for the lamb industry early in the new year.
This will deal with crucial issues such as the labelling of European products, electronic tagging of lambs and the processing regulations. It will also cover other areas such as the importation of lamb from outside the EU. Irish MEP, Liam Aylward, is currently preparing a report for the European Parliament into the future of the European sheep and lamb production and processing sector in Europe.
He said yesterday his report will highlight the need to continue to do more to ensure that EU food products such as lamb continue to be produced and consumed in the European marketplace. "The people of Europe have a right to know the origin of the lamb and other key food products that they purchase and consume," he said.
Meanwhile, it was learned here that Bord Bia has received a tender from the Egyptian army for 2,000 tonnes of Irish beef which the authorities there say must come from animals less than two-years-old.
The tender has also specified that Egyptian veterinary officials must also carry out antemortem inspections on the animals from which the beef is taken.
The tender, though not significant in size, is a further indication that the Egyptian authorities will allow Irish beef into their country and has lifted its ban on live cattle imports which has effectively been in place since 2000.