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The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is pleased with Court of Appeal judgment which found that MPI followed the correct decision-making process before allowing imports of raw pork from countries where the disease Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is present.
At issue in this case was MPI’s response to an Independent Review Panel report and the process that led to the Director-General’s decision to issue four new import health standards for raw pork.
NZ Pork had alleged MPI did not follow the correct decision-making process.
In dismissing NZ Pork’s appeal, the Court found that the appellant’s submission could be construed as a call for the consultation process to continue indefinitely while NZ Pork continued to debate the relevant science with MPI.
MPI ‘s primary concern when developing the new import health standards was to ensure they would effectively manage the risk of diseases such as PRRS establishing in New Zealand.
MPI spent almost a decade assessing all available science, carrying out a comprehensive risk assessment process and consulting extensively with affected parties and international experts before introducing the new import rules.
Before 2001, raw pork was imported with no restrictions for over 10 years and no outbreaks of PRRS occurred.
Monday March 18, 2013/ MPI/ New Zealand.
http://www.mpi.govt.nz
