Call for intervention over beef ban

A THREATENED Russian ban on Irish and European beef due to begin on January 1 is inevitable unless some serious diplomatic efforts take place, it was claimed yesterday.

Brian Crowley, president of the Union for Europe of the Nations group in the European Parliament, called on Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to raise the issue at today’s meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.

Mr Crowley also urged European Commission president Jose Barroso to personally intervene. Time was running out and action must now be taken.

Russia is Ireland’s biggest market for Irish food products outside the EU. It totalled €100 million in value in 2006 and is set to double over the next two years. Irish beef exports to Russia amounted to €40 million this year.

Mr Crowley, Fianna Fáil MEP for Ireland South, said: “The Russians are demanding that bilateral arrangements be put in place between Russia and individual EU member states concerning the issue of food exports to Russia.”

Mr Crowley said the Russians would not discuss the issue of their ban on Polish meat exports to Russia.

They claimed it was a bilateral matter between Poland and Russia and not an issue that should be addressed between the EU and Russia. Mr Crowley said this position is totally unacceptable to the European Union.

Mr Crowley said the EU deals as a unitary body on behalf of its 25 member states in all its relations with third countries in the field of food, agriculture and veterinary matters.