European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has been urged to provide “absolute clarification” on the decision-making process relating to meat imports from Brazil.

MEP Ciaran Mullooly confirmed he has written to President von der Leyen asking for urgent clarification on the issue as the deadline for a potential Brazil meat export ban looms.

Earlier this year (May) the European Commission confirmed that Brazil will no longer be authorised to export a range of animal products to the EU from September 3.It followed a vote by member states on an updated list of third countries authorised to export food-producing animals and animal products to the EU.

According to the Midlands-North-West MEP Mullooly as the deadline looms the issue must be treated “strictly as a non-negotiable public health imperative rather than a routine trade negotiation”.

According to Mullooly the Commission's Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF Committee) examined whether meat exports and other animal products exported from Brazil to the EU would comply with EU restrictions on antimicrobials used to promote growth or increase production, and on antimicrobials reserved for treating humans.

He said this committee previously concluded that current control systems and assurances from Brazilian authorities are insufficient to guarantee adherence to strict European food safety laws.

MEP Mullooly believes that it is “practically and scientifically unfeasible for industrial-scale producers to retrospectively certify compliance for livestock already nearing the supply chain”.

Demands

He has now set out a list of demands that he wants the European Commission to meet in relation to meat imports from Brazil.

These include that there should be "no discretionary backdoor" for meat imports beyond September 3, "a re-referral to expert committee" in relation to any documentation or remedial proposals submitted by Brazilian authorities.

The MEP has also called for "full public disclosure" by the European Commission on the findings, opinions and underlying data of the expert group

MEP Mullooly said: "This is no longer a theoretical concern or a standard trade negotiation; this goes directly to the health, safety and wellbeing of EU citizens.

"European food safety standards are non-negotiable".