This article is from page 38 of the 2007-07-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 38 JPG
EUROPEAN Ombudsman, Niki- foros Diamandouros, looks set to spend a lot of time in Ireland over the next few months, as it was revealed last week that at least three Irish Farming Organisation have lodged official complaints with his office. The ICMSA and Farmers for Fair- ness in Europe (FFE), lodged a join complaint with the Ombudsman, tar- geting both the European Commis- sion and the Council of the European Union on grounds of maladministra- tion by failing to ban Brazilian beef imports. The complaint, which was drawn up in ICMSA Head Office, centres on what ICMSA President, Jackie Cahill, has described as ‘the
incontrovertible evidence’ that the failure to ban beef imports from Bra- Zil is in breach of EC law.
“We think we have identified the Commission’s vulnerable spot on this issue, which infuriates us all. The European Ombudsman _ func- tions in a similar way to the ombuds- men in member states – he must now undertake a full investigation of all the trails and reports drawn up by the Commission — including any that are as yet unpublished. He must then present his report with recommenda- tions to the European Parliament”, said Mr. Cahill.
The complaint is to be issued in the name of FFE and the presidents of the 12 associated farm organiza- tions, and according to Mr. Cahill the
‘wriggle-room’ that the Commission have been using on the issue of Bra- Zilian beef will be severely circum- scribed by the formal complaint.”
The formal complaint is a double- Whammy in that the ICMSA/FFE complaint will also argue that the maladministration on the question of Brazilian imports coupled with the onerous regulations imposed on na- tive European beef farmers amounts to an infringement of the rights of those farmers as European citizens as established and guaranteed by the European Court of Justice under the Treaty that established the European Community.
As a part of the FFE, the ICSA has also echoed the dissatisfaction of the ICMSA with the situation surround-
ing Brazilian beef. “The Commis- sion 1s failing in its legal duty to EU citizens by continuing to allow beef imports from Brazil,’ said ICSA President Malcolm Thompson.
“The combined efforts of the or- ganisations within the FFE are tar- geted at forcing the Commission to act on the clear veterinary evidence and other information collected by the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Union arising from nu- merous official missions undertaken by that office.
In addition, FFE is confident that the Ombudsman will have to factor- in to his deliberations the complete ban on Brazilian beef imports oper- ated by both the US and Australia,” stated Mr. Thompson.