§ Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of EU import controls in preventing the import of meat from areas of high risk into the United Kingdom. [128060]
§ Mr. BradshawEuropean Community law sets out the import conditions which must be met by all meat imported into the community from third countries. These conditions do not permit meat to be imported from areas where veterinary controls cannot guarantee that the meat poses negligible disease risk to human or animal health. Defra veterinary experts and the Food Standards Agency are fully engaged in negotiations to develop Community import conditions. Should the disease situation in an exporting country change, for example if a new outbreak of disease is notified, the European Commission will introduce safeguard measures to control imports so that there is no increased risk of disease as a result. Pending these changes to community rules, in such a situation individual member states are permitted to introduce unilateral provisions to control imports. The Government take such unilateral action whenever the situation demands it.
Community import rules require all meat imported from third countries to enter the community via specified Border Inspection Posts where it is subject to veterinary examination to ensure the import conditions are being observed. The system of veterinary examination is operated by local authorities and is monitored by Defra and the European Commission to ensure effective controls are in place.
The Government have produced an Annual Review of Controls on Imports of Animal Products April 2002–March 2003 which concentrates on the action against illegal imports. This has been placed in the House of Commons Library.