Food Chemical News | May 21, 2001 | Volume 43, Issue 14 | Mark Thornton
The leader of Australia's National Farmers Federation said last week the group will turn to the World Trade Organization if the European Union uses the threat of exotic diseases as an excuse to block trade.
"We want to export more product to Britain as well as protect our existing access, and if there are any illegal trade barriers put in place, we will exercise our full World Trade Organization rights," NFF President Ian Donges said.
Donges' remarks followed a May 14 speech from British National Farmers' Union President Ben Gill, who said at NFF's annual meeting in Canberra, Australia, that foot-and-mouth disease, BSE and other diseases ravaging Europe have prompted Europeans to prefer locally produced foods over imported ones.
"One of the consequences of FMD in Britain has been to significantly raise awareness of bio-security issues," Gill said. "In this context, trading of food - both animal and plant - inevitably increases the risk of disease spread. Public awareness of this risk has certainly been heightened following FMD, classical swine fever, BSE and other diseases in Europe.
"As a result, European consumers are looking more and more to locally produced foods and are increasingly aware of the origin of their food as a key parameter to choice."
Donges' group interpreted Gill's words as meaning the EU may be intending to use the threat of disease as a way to further restrict Australian imports.
In an exclusive interview with Food Chemical News, Gill rejected Donges' charge that Britain might exploit the BSE and FMD scares to erect trade barriers. "What I am saying is, in Britain we will have to look at bio-security much more closely in addition to phytosanitary arrangements," he told FCN. "Australia is very successful with its bio-security and quarantine systems, but you would not regard yourselves as trade protectionists," Gill said. "If there is anything to learn from the FMD outbreaks, it is the need to improve bio-security."
Australian system praised
Gill praised Australia's quarantine systems, saying he would like to see such a level of border protection in Britain.
"Australian quarantine rules are great," he said. "I was actually worried that they wouldn't let me in when I arrived on Sunday. We need these strict protocols in place in Europe, and we need them now to ensure we never have another outbreak like the current one of any other disease - either animal or plant.
"There's no doubt FMD spread to Britain illegally, and, unfortunately, we cannot rule out eco-terrorism," Gill said.
Gill's remarks come as the National Farmers Federation seeks greater access to the lucrative EU markets and the relaxation of 30-year-old quota restrictions. For example, current rules permit only 7,000 tons of Australian high-quality beef and 18,650 tons of sheep meat into Britain each year.
Gill said the FMD outbreak alone could cost Britain A$25 billion. So far, there have been about 1,600 confirmed cases of FMD. More than 2.65 million animals have been slaughtered, and 75,000 are tagged to be killed.
Meanwhile, Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile denied reports that he said the duties of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) might be transferred to a private company.
Vaile spokesman James Baker assured FCN that there has never been and never will be any intention to privatize an organization so crucial to national integrity.
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