Stevenson hits out over clone claims
Conservative Euro MP for Scotland Struan Stevenson has slammed the EUs worrying lack of safeguards following revelations that meat and milk from clone-offspring may have entered the food chain.
His warning comes after the Food Standards Agency admitted today (Wednesday, August 4) that it did not know how many embryos from cloned animals have been imported into Britain – and meat from one had already entered the food chain and been eaten.
Mr Stevenson said:
Unfortunately, EU rules around the import of meat and dairy products from clones and their offspring are at present confused and inadequate. Its this worrying lack of safeguards that has allowed this situation to arise.
Thats why MEPs in Brussels recently called for the Commission to produce an urgent resolution on cloned imports while in the meantime banning all meat and dairy imports from outside the EU unless they can be accompanied by a certificate.
In these cases, it appears the rules have been flouted but that simply highlights how easily the current law can be circumvented.
We must have a more stringent regime that gives consumers confidence in the system. People must know where their meat and milk is coming from.
I believe that if there is any chance imported meat or dairy products could come from clones or their offspring, it should be clearly labelled: This may have come from a cloned animal.
That way, while the jury may still be out on the safety and ethics of cloned animals, EU consumers would be able to make an informed choice on what to buy.
Struan Stevenson is a Scottish Conservative MEP and member of the European Conservatives & Reformists Group (ECR). He is the Senior Vice President of the European Parliament Fisheries Committee, President of the Parliaments Climate Change, Biodiversity & Sustainable development Intergroup. He is also President of the European Parliaments Delegation for Relations with Iraq.
Struan has represented Scotland in the European Parliament since 1999. www.struanstevenson.com