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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Answer

Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the control measures in other countries which export meat and meat products to the UK. [152418] Ms Quin: [holding answer 6 March 2001]: All consignments of meat imported into the UK must have been produced in accordance with the harmonised Community rules laid down in Council Directive 64/433/EEC (as amended) (fresh meat) and Council Directive 77/99/EEC (as amended) (meat products). Among other things, these Directives set out the licensing, structural and veterinary supervision requirements to be applied in meat plants. Ensuring that all member states comply with their Community obligations in properly implementing and applying the Directives is the responsibility of the European Commission, whose Food and Veterinary Office carries our regular programmes of inspection visits to all member states. Depending on the perceived health risk, checks at destination may be random or 100 per cent. Following the recent identification of specified risk material in imports of meat from Germany and the current foot and mouth disease problems in the UK, the Meat Hygiene Service has been instructed to step up levels of inspection at cutting plants and cold stores to ensure that increased volumes of imports can be checked for the necessary health marks and correct documentation. The Food and Veterinary Office is also responsible for carrying out inspections in the third countries from which fresh meat is imported into the Community. All meat imported into the UK from third countries must enter at designated UK border inspection posts (BIPs) where it is subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks and at least 20 per cent. of consignments undergo physical checks. These ensure import conditions are met and that the products remain in a satisfactory condition. They are carried out by official veterinary surgeons employed by the local authority in which the BIP is located. In line with Community rules, random spot checks at destination may be carried out on consignments of fresh meat imported into the UK from other EU member states.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

152418; 364 c480-1W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

EU countries Licensing Inspections EU law Disease control Foot and mouth disease Germany Import controls Imports Meat Meat products Veterinary services European Commission Meat Hygiene Service

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk