THE European Union sayes that stringent import controls are in place, adding that EU standards are not lowered in the face of imported horses from non-EU countries entering the European food chain.

The issue was raised by Monaghan MEP Matt Carty (SF) who was exploring whether horses stamped out of the food chain in Europe, could end up eventually coming back into the food chain if they were exported to non-EU countries such as Canada and South America and subsequently slaughtered there.

The EU responded that the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is being provisionally applied as of September 21st 2017.

“Thus EU standards are certainly not lowered and the stringent import controls remain in place.”

REVIEW

MEP Carty was also told the EU is reviewing some of the legislation governing this area.

“The possibility to exclude an individual horse from the food chain is laid down in Directive 2001/82/EC(5) which addresses, amongst others, the administration of veterinary medicinal products to animals of food-producing species in the Union. This legislation, which does not apply to non-EU countries and may provide for stricter rules than those recommended in international standards, is currently under review by the European Parliament and the Council,” said the EU document.