DUBLIN- The Irish Farmers Association is campaigning to remove Brazilian beef from the Mercosur agreement after failing to meet European Union standards.

The European Commission stated in its latest health and safety report that Brazil is allowing factory staff to perform post-mortem inspection which does not follow the rules of the EU.

The report said that of the 53 plants cleared to export to the EU, 187 Brazilian veterinary staff members and 761 factory staff are performing the post-mortem inspections.

The commission also found that the staff members are being paid directly by the factories.

IFA’s national livestock chairman Angus Woods thinks this report gives the European Commission more information to immediately withdraw Brazilian beef from Mercosur negotiations.

“The EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukatis, cannot allow the Commission to continue to bury their heads in the sand and ignore the findings of their vets on the failures of Brazil to meet EU standards,” Woods said.

In April, the Brazilian government vowed to challenge a European Union ban on meat from several Brazilian producers on concerns about the country’s food safety protocols.