hankyoreh

South Korea’s chief negotiator Lee Hye-min

It has been confirmed that the South Korean government has tentatively agreed to a provision to substantially lower the barrier to import European beef in its free trade agreement with the European Union (Korea-EU FTA).

A major controversy is expected over the importation of European beef into South Korea once the FTA takes effect, as there were more than 120 cases of mad cow disease reported in Europe in the last year.

On Tuesday, the Hankyoreh obtained a draft version of a provision on animals and plants in the Korea-EU FTA, which states that both parties “can demand additional import conditions for agricultural products and livestock from the other party in accordance with the policies and standards of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).” The provision also specifies “determinations on regions without disease or with a low frequency of disease must be made in accordance with the standards of the OIE and IPPC.” Based on this provision, beef produced in Great Britain and 22 other European countries classified by the OIE as “controlled risk nations” for mad cow disease, where mad cow disease has occurred but where the danger in distribution of beef for food use can be controlled, could be imported into and distributed within South Korea.

The U.S. also asked the South Korean government for permission to import its beef based on the last year’s OIE decision that classified it as a controlled risk nation. The South Korean government has agreed.

While only one case of mad cow disease been reported in the U.S. over the past three years, more than 600 cases have been reported in Europe to date, generating controversy within Europe over the safety of European beef. The European Union ranks third in the world in beef production and is in the world’s top ten list in beef exporters. After mad cow disease broke out in Europe around 2000, South Korea has blocked the importation of European beef. Four tons of Danish beef in 1999 was the last beef import allowed from Europe.

“U.S. beef has been allowed entry into South Korea based on the OIE’s classification, with Canadian beef soon to follow. All legal devices to prevent the importation of beef from nations with outbreaks of mad cow disease like Great Britain and France will become undone if the South Korea-EU FTA agreement provision is also based on OIE criteria,” said Park Sang-pyo, a chief policy maker with the Veterinarian Association for Public Health.

In response, South Korea’s trade ministry stated that it could not confirm the details of the provision because negotiations were still in progress. However, an official did indicate that an agreement based on the draft was reached, saying, “An agreement was made that was consistent with World Trade Organization policies.”

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