Meat producers fear EU livestock inspectors will close them down

The meat industry is beginning to worry about EU livestock inspectors who will arrive in Poland on April 16. Chief Vet Piotr Kolodziej, has emphasized that the aim of the visit is only to verify modernization plans. According to representatives of meat companies the officials from Brussels will try to undermine potential competitors. "It seems that the inspectors will try to question the introduction of the transition period for Polish meat producers. If we are not given time to adjust to EU standards about 400 companies will have to close down and several thousand workers will lose their jobs," said a meat producer who wished to remain anonymous. Meat enterprises stress that the EU controllers are coming to Poland before a European aid scheme begins, which means that Polish meat producers have only just begun changing their standards and have not yet had the chance to use promised EU financial support. (Puls Biznesu p. 8) K.S.