Brazilian poultry processor faces allegations of fraud

Eurofile: Claims officials were bribed

The problems of the Brazilian meat industry are again making headlines.

This time allegations of fraud and the export of meat which does not comply with hygiene standards has been linked to a major poultry processor.

The allegations, like last year, involve claims that officials have been bribed to issue false health certificates for exports. This has prompted the EU to ban imports from the processors involved.

There is again pressure for wider action, but this is unlikely as the EC is close to a new free trade deal with the Mercosur countries of South America, led by Brazil. It is not going to allow this to be blown off course.

EU farm ministers meet in Brussels this week in a bid to agree a negotiating basis for the post-2020 CAP.

As decision time gets closer the gaps between member states are getting more pronounced. Portugal has joined with Poland and the Baltic states to demand more progress on the differences between average CAP payments – known in Brussels-speak as external convergence. Other areas of disagreement relate to the size of the CAP budget, the continuation of coupledsupport measures and the scale and scope of the crisis budget.

In a private sessions ministers will be asked to make their case, and to then reveal their red line issues.

A European Court decision has paved the way for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to challenge decisions by the EC to approve genetically modified crops.

Calls from environmental groups for their views to be heeded in the decisionmaking process were rejected by the EC, on the grounds that its focus was on implications for human health. However this was rejected by the court.

The Irish Farmers’ Association has reacted angrily to a warning from farm commissioner Phil Hogan that dairy farmers cannot expect Brussels to bail them out of another milk price collapse.

This was prompted by big rises in milk production at a time when the EC still has 300,000 tonnes of milk powder in store from the last crisis. The IFA says Hogan must commit to responsible management of markets, but he is adamant that farmers cannot be insulated from market realities.

The Brussels regional government in Belgium has begun European court action against the EC, challenging its right to license glyphosate for a further five years.

Farm commissioner Phil Hogan has warned that dairy farmers cannot expect Brussels to bail them out of another milk price collapse.