§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list those agencies which are licensed to inspect food production establishments in third countries on behalf of the EC; [63138]
(2) how regular are the inspections of plants in each EU country and outside the EU by the Office of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection; [63143]
(3)if he will make it his policy to request information from the European Commission regarding the dates when each establishment producing meat in third countries which export to the UK was last inspected by or for the EU. [63141]
§ Mr. RookerThe European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) carry out a number of missions each year to look at member states' and third countries' procedures and establishments. These missions involve audits of the bodies responsible for consumer health protection and include inspections of some individual processing premises. In addition, some member states who traditionally have carried out their own audits of third countries' procedures and establishments may continue to do so, either for products for which import rules are not yet harmonised across the Community or to complement the Commission's programme. MAFF staff are hoping to visit Brazil and Thailand early in the near year to carry out audits of the public health controls on poultry meat and poultry meat products.
The Commission are in the process of expanding the FVO so that it can carry out inspections in all third countries to verify that their establishments comply with Community provisions. As an interim measure, it has been agreed by the Council of Ministers that, for products of animal origin other than fresh meat, guarantees of conformity with Community provisions for the protection of public and animal health may, until 1 January 2001, be given by the competent authority of the third country concerned.
The frequency of FVO missions to individual countries is not laid down but is based on priorities. Work programmes are discussed in advance with the member states and reflect past experience of the products and countries concerned and the importance of the trade. Reports of the missions are, as a matter of course, presented to the Standing Veterinary Committee and summaries placed on the DG XXIV internet site.