Irish MEP Seán Kelly had called for independent inspections to be carried out in Mercosur countries to verify food safety standards and meat traceability. In a meeting with EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, and Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan he said that this step must take place before further trade volumes are agreed.

A trade deal between the EU and Mercosur trading bloc is currently being negotiated.

"We are not only concerned by the volumes of imports being discussed, especially with regard to beef, but also by food safety standards,” Kelly said. “We can't forget that just last year, Brazil was embroiled in a food safety scandal which revealed serious violations by meat companies.”

The Mercosur bloc is made up of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Beef is a major export for these countries and securing market access to the EU is a key part of negotiations. Kelly says that traceability, country of origin labelling and inspection standards that we have in Europe may not be in place among Mercosur countries.

"As it stands, we cannot guarantee the same standards for possible imported meat from the Mercosur countries. These conditions have not been taken over by Mercosur under the chapter on Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures on which an agreement was reached earlier,” he said.

Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan said that “more stringent controls” than the existing checks on meat coming in to the EU from Mercosur countries may be put in place.

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