Longford MEP urges European Commission to base Brazilian meat decision on science
Midlands North West MEP Ciaran Mullooly has stressed that this matter must be treated strictly as a non-negotiable public health imperative rather than a routine trade negotiation
Longford MEP Ciaran Mullooly has today written directly to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, seeking urgent and absolute clarification regarding the final decision-making process concerning meat imports from Brazil.
The Lanesboro native said with the fast-approaching September 3 deadline set by the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF) following concerns over compliance with EU antimicrobial and antibiotic standards.
Mr Mullooly has stressed that this matter must be treated strictly as a non-negotiable public health imperative rather than a routine trade negotiation.
The PAFF Committee is an official EU regulatory committee convened and chaired by the European Commission and composed of national experts representing all 27 EU countries.
In this case, it considered the Commission’s proposed measure on whether Brazil had provided sufficient evidence and guarantees that meat and other animal products exported to the EU would comply with EU restrictions on antimicrobials used to promote growth or increase production, and on antimicrobials reserved for treating humans.
The expert committee previously reached a unanimous assessment that current control systems and assurances from Brazilian authorities are insufficient to guarantee adherence to strict European food safety laws.
Echoing concerns raised by former European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Chairman Dr Patrick Wall, Mr Mullooly emphasised that it is practically and scientifically unfeasible for industrial-scale producers to retrospectively certify compliance for livestock already nearing the supply chain.
Mr Mullooly's key demands are 'No discretionary backdoor'.
He said any proposal or compromise accepted by the European Commission to allow the continuation of meat imports beyond September 3 must be fully grounded in transparent, verifiable scientific evidence rather than political expediency.
The Midlands-North West MEP said another key demand is a re-referral to an expert committee.
"Any documentation or remedial proposals submitted by the Brazilian authorities must be formally re-vetted and re-evaluated by the original PAFF expert committee that unanimously established the initial safety assessment.
"Full Public Disclosure: The European Commission must publish the findings, opinions and underlying data of the expert group, ensuring complete transparency for European citizens whose health and consumer rights are directly affected."
Mr Mullooly added, "This is no longer a theoretical concern or a standard trade negotiation; this goes directly to the health, safety and well-being of EU citizens. European food safety standards are non-negotiable.
“If the expert committee has determined that current measures do not meet our legal thresholds, any decision to permit the continuation of imports beyond 3 September must be subjected to rigorous, transparent scientific scrutiny and verified by the experts themselves."