§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the answer of 30 January to the hon. Member for Torridge and Devon, West, if he can give any further information about the ban on imports of meat by the French.
§ Mr. MacgregorThe French Government have issued two decrees, one reducing the number of approved entry points for fresh pigmeat from 106 to 60, and the other reducing the number of entry points for the import of live cattle and pigs from 47 to 21. There are no changes to the entry points for beef and lamb or for live sheep. The revised lists are set out below.
At a meeting with French officials yesterday, a representative of our embassy in Paris was told again that these measures were being taken to protect the health of French livestock against the possible introduction of foot and mouth disease and swine fever. The French said that in their view there would be negligible impact on United Kingdom exports of meat or animals. They also said that pigmeat could be landed at traditional ports, even if they are not included in the new list, and cleared at one of the approved internal customs points. In such cases, it would be prudent for potential exporters to agree arrangements in advance with importers.
In the Government's view, it is important that veterinary checks at the ports should be strictly limited only to the health risk involved and should not in any way impede the normal flow of trade. We have repeatedly made this clear to the French authorities.
We have consulted trade interests concerned in this country and their preliminary judgment, which we share, is that trade in fresh pigmeat and live animals is unlikely to be adversely affected by these restrictions. But we shall be monitoring developments closely and shall not hestitate to make further representations to the French, and to the Commission, if necessary.
Approved Customs Posts for fresh pigmeat
140W
- Ajaccio-Campo Dell'Oro
- Ajaccio-port
- Annemasse
- Aulnoy-gare
- Basses
- Bastia
- Bayonne
- Bellegarde
- Bordeaux-port
- Bordeaux-Merignac
- Boulogne (CRD)
- Le Boulou-le Perthus
- Bourg-en-Bresse (CRD)
- Calais (CRD)
- Degrad-des-Cannes
- Dole (CRD)
- Dunkerque-port
- Ferney-Voltaire
- Fort-de-France-port
- Ghyvelde
- Le Havre-port
- Hendaye-Behobie
- Le Lamentin
- Lille (CRD)
- Lons-le-Saunier (CRD)
- Lyon-Venissieux
- Lyon-Bron
- Marseille-Marignane
- Marseille-port
- Metz
- Modane
- Mont-Saint-Martin (CRD)
- Nancy (CRD)
- Nice-Cote d' Azur
- Pau (CRD)
- Pointe-a-Pitre
- Charleville-Mezieres (CRD)
- Cherbourg (CRD)
- Cluses (CRD)
- Pontarlier
- Pontoise-Saint-Ouen-L'Aumone
- Le Port
- Le Raizet
- Reckem-Antenne
- Risquons-tout
- Rochambeau
- Roissy
- La Roche-sur-Yon
- Saint-Denis-Gillot
- Saint-Etienne (CRD)
- Saint-Louis-Bale-Gares
- Saint-Louis-route
- Sete (CRD)
- Steenvoorde
- Strasbourg-gare
- Strasbourg-port du Thin (CRD)
- Strasbourg-pont de L'Europe
- Valenciennes (CRD)
- Versailles-Plaisir (CRD)
- Vitrilles-Antenne
- Vintimilie
- Rungis-M.I.N. (as from 15 February 1984)
Approved Customs Posts for live cattle and pigs
- Bettignies-route
- Calais-port (CRD)
- La Chapelle-route
- Cherbourg-port (CRD)
- Le Havre-port
- Lauterbourg-gare et route
- Marseilles-port
- Mont-Saint-Martin-autoroute (CRD)
- Pont de Huningue-route et gare
- Risquons-tout-route
- Roscoff (CRD)
- Saint-Louis-route
- Saint-Louis-Bale-gare
- Saint Malo (CRD)
- Sarrebruck La Breme-d'or-autoroute
- Steenvoorde-route
- Strasbourg-pont de L'Europe-route
- Tourcoing-gare
- Valenciennes (CRD)
- Le Boulou
- Hendaye