The representatives of the ICMSA and ICSA who met EU Agriculture Commissioner Marianne Fischer Boel in Strasbourg on Tuesday were given no encouragement that imports of Brazilian beef would be curtailed.

This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin following a meeting with the farmers organisations who had disappointing meetings with the Commissioner and, previously, with officials of the Food & Veterinary Office in Brussels.

“I raised the issue of Brazilian imports and their lack of traceability in the Parliament on Monday last and suggested that the position of EU food producers was being eroded in the WTO negotiations”, she said.  Her fears were confirmed by the attitudes of Ms. Fischer Boel, who indicated to the farmers’ organisations that further concessions to Brazil and others were likely and by Food & Veterinary officials who indicated that the EU was happy with quality and traceability of Brazilian beef, she said.

“If they did not already know before this week’s meeting the farmers representatives know now that there is very little sympathy at EU level for our farmers and, apparently, little value placed on food security which was up to now a central tenet of the Common Agricultural Policy”, Marian Harkin said.

Total unity of purpose across the farmers’ organisations of the EU was the only hope that agriculture would maintain essential influence in the years ahead and she urged a radical review of the strategy needed to protect the interests of farm families in the very challenging years ahead.

Marian Harkin said that Irish MEPs in conjunction with farmers’ representatives would be seeking a meeting with Colm Gaynor, Director of the European Commission, Food & Veterinary Office to discuss their concerns about food quality and traceability issues.