The National Pig Association (NPA) has called on Government to act after a Politico report found banned pork products on sale beyond security at Brussels Midi station.
In April, the Government tightened up the rules on personal imports in response to the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Europe. This made it illegal to bring in any foods like cured meats, cheese, and milk into Britain from the EU, with travellers facing fines of up to £5,000 for breaching the rules.
According to a report by Politico, a wide selection of banned products were still on sale beyond security and passport control at Brussels Midi station in a shop exclusively accessible to people travelling to London.
Travellers at Gare Midi who clear UK passport control were immediately faced with a shelf of Belgian pork products, including a 40-pack of cured sausages and a fridge pack of Bruges smoked ham, the report adds.
No signs warning about the restrictions were visible near the shelves when Politico journalists visited the station, said NPA, and the sales were taking place “right under the noses of UK Border Force officials”, according to the report.
“Gaping holes” in controls
NPA said this was the “latest evidence of gaping holes in the UK’s biosecurity controls”, following a report from the National Audit Office finding that Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are insufficiently prepared for a major animal disease outbreak.
NPA senior policy adviser Katie Jarvis said, following the “eye-opening” NAO report, the situation at Gare Midi showed that the enhanced biosecurity rules were not being taken seriously enough: “It is extremely alarming to see that pork is being sold at a point of entry into the UK, despite it being illegal to bring pork and other animal products from the EU.
“Clearly the news of these controls, which have been in place for some time, has not been received and understood. We would urge Defra to be proactive with its communication around these personal import controls and ensure there is effective enforcement and consequences for those breaking the law.
“This also raises further questions about the biosecurity implications of the UK’s recently announced new deal with the EU. If meat isn’t being stopped in the EU, how is aligning with EU protocols going to better stop it from coming into the UK?”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “This Government will do whatever it takes to protect British farmers from foot and mouth disease. We are working closely with Border Force, ports, airports and international travel operators, to increase awareness of the new restrictions including via prominent signs.”
Politico reported that Eurostar said it emails passengers before they travel warning them that they can no longer bring animal products into the UK due to temporary Government restrictions. A Eurostar spokesperson has now confirmed that the products have been removed.
