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7 February 2003
Small Abattoir Inspection Costs could be reduced says EU
New Ruling by EU gives the UK Government the
Opportunity to do so
(Filed 07/02/03)
This follows the campaign described in a previous
CLA News Release dated 26 November 2002 reported on Land-Care.
The Current situation is clearly described in
a CLA News Release of 5 February 2003 shown below.
ABATTOIRS: DEFRA MUST CAPITALISE ON
EU CONCESSION TO
PRESERVE OUR DIVERSE MEAT PROCESSING INDUSTRY
CLA News Release 5th February 2003
(www.cla.org.uk)
The UK Government will be given leeway to reprieve
smaller abattoirs from full imposition of meat inspection costs,
enabling them to stay in business as vital contributors to the rural
economy.
The European Commission’s Proposal for a
Regulation on Official Feed and Food Controls, adopted in Brussels
today, leaves Member States to determine how the cost of official
controls is to be met, based on a number of criteria designed to
limit the financial burden on small businesses.
CLA President Sir Edward Greenwell said:
“This is excellent news. Last November the CLA, NFWI and
Soil Association led a campaign supported by 150 organisations
representing the full spectrum of rural interests to oppose the
EU’s plans for full recovery of meat inspection costs from
all abattoirs.Ñ For the smaller plants, this could have seen the
cost per animal increase from around #3 to #100, sending them
to the wall and dealing a blow to the meat processing industry
and the rural economy as a whole.
“We can’t afford to lose our smaller local abattoirs
and cutting plants. They currently process 49% of UK livestock
and are needed to deal with specialist and local meats, to provide
jobs in rural communities, to support the survival of valued landscapes
and farmland biodiversity, and to minimise the distances travelled
by animals.
“By maintaining charges for meat inspection costs at a proportionate
level, Defra can secure the future of our diverse UK meat processing
industry. We have requested an early meeting with Food and Farming
Minister Lord Whitty to urge him to pass on to the industry the
benefit of this welcome EU concession.”
For further press information, contact Elspeth
Henderson, CLA Head of Media on Tel: 020 7460 7932, Mobile: 07803
017174; E-mail: elspethh@cla.org.uk.
Further Reading Recommended by Land-Care:
Hundreds of UK Abattoirs Could Close if New
EU Regulations are Implemented. CLA News Release, 26 November 2002.
(Filed 26 November 2002, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
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