Commission denies beef report cover-up

THE European Commission yesterday rejected claims by the Irish Farmers’ Association that it had covered up a report on issues relating to Brazilian beef exports.

IFA members staged an overnight sit-in at the Commission offices in Dublin city centre and also held a lunchtime protest.

They claimed a report of an inspection visit to Brazil last March by the European Union Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) had been suppressed by the Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou.

But the Commission said the draft report has been prepared. The normal process of seeking comment from the parties involved was almost complete. The FVO expects to be able to publish the report in the coming weeks.

“These claims by the IFA are simply incorrect,” said the Commission, which also said it “regrets the invasion of its public information centre in Dublin by members of the IFA” and the consequent disruption to the public as well as staff was regrettable.

But IFA president Pádraig Walshe again told protesting livestock farmers that the report had been deliberately concealed. Seven months had elapsed since the FVO visit to Brazil.

“It is farcical that the report would be sent to Brazil first in order that they could make amendments, and European consumers and producers would be denied the opportunity to see it,” he said.

Mr Walshe said the denial of access to the report was a flagrant breach of Article 42 of the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union, which states that any citizen of the Union… has a right of access to European Parliament, council and commission documents.

IFA Livestock Committee chairman John Bryan said Mr Kyprianou’s failure to release the report raises question marks as to why the findings have been withheld for so long.

He said EU consumers are entitled to straight answers as to why the Commission has withheld the report, especially when it accepts there are serious deficiencies with Brazilian standards.

Mr Bryan said Mr Walshe has written to Mr Kyprianou proposing that an IFA independent veterinarian would accompany the FVO on the next inspection mission to Brazil.

He said foot and mouth disease is endemic in Brazil. The failure to meet European standards has been well documented. Cattle traceability and movement controls are unreliable as are border controls and foot and mouth disease controls.