mr president increased access to the eu market for mercosur would decimate national industries particularly in my case in my major concern the beef industry in ireland and elsewhere
this is not scaremongering
ireland exports around ninety of its beef production and the beef quota sought by mercosur will be in direct competition with the irish beef industry
european farmers are operating under strict health and safety criteria
they adhere to all standards set for them and they guarantee high-quality safe produce for consumers
in the past the commission continually assured european consumers and members of this house of the quality of imports into the european union
however it was the farming organisations and meps which proved the commission's position wrong on the issues of equivalence of quality and standards between imports and eu products resulting in the number of exporting units in brazil being reduced from three zero to under one zero
so commissioner my question is given the past experience and the current sporadic nature of fvo missions how can the commission guarantee consumers that all imports coming into the european union are of equable quality and comply with european union standards
can i just say commissioner that the track record does not offer great hope or great confidence for me for the future
