Health standards for Lomé meat imports
Gibbons asked about the health status of meat from Lomé countries and why Irish reactor meat exports were banned. Murphy said third-country imports were subject to the same requirements as intra-EEC trade pending an EEC list; he did not provide the country-specific veterinary details Gibbons requested.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the animal health status of EEC imports of meat from countries covered by the Lomé convention; if they are certified as disease free; and, if not, if he will state why exports to the EEC of Irish reactor meat is banned by the Community.
Comment on this
Until a decision of the Council of Ministers of the EEC is reached on the list of third countries from which meat may be imported to the Community——
Comment on this
It is impossible to make sense of what the Parliamentary Secretary is saying as I did not hear the beginning of the reply. Would he be good enough to begin again?
Comment on this
Until a decision of the Council of Ministers of the EEC is reached on the list of third countries from which meat may be imported to the Community, under Directive 72/462/EEC, all imports of meat from places outside the Community are subject to the same animal health and public health requirements as are provided in the directives relating to intra-Community trade in fresh meat. When the list of third countries has been established requirements no less strict will apply. It is fundamental that imports from a third country cannot receive more favourable treatment in any member country than imports from another member country.
As regards the final part of the Deputy's question, the EEC Directive 64/433 provides that animals may not be slaughtered for intra-Community trade in fresh meat in which any form of tuberculosis has been found or which react positively to tuberculin and are thus found to be suffering from tuberculosis.
Comment on this
Can the Parliamentary Secretary inform the House of the nature of the veterinary standards in such countries as Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania and Madagascar?
Comment on this
I want to call the attention of the House to the fact that the question refers to the countries covered by the Lomé convention. The countries I mentioned are covered by that convention. Therefore, it is perfectly reasonable to ask what are the veterinary standards in those countries and how are they supervised since our meat is to be kept out and theirs is to be let in?
