EU officially bans meat from Brazil from September

Beef
Photo by David Foodphototasty on Unsplash
The European Union (EU) published, on Friday (5), a document making official its decision to exclude Brazil from the list of countries that comply with its rules against the excessive use of antimicrobials in livestock.
➡As a result, Brazil is prohibited from exporting beef to the bloc from September 3 of this year.
According to the document, the country did not present information required by the European Commission to guarantee that Brazilian meat meets EU requirements on antimicrobials.
➡ Antimicrobials are substances used to treat and prevent infections in animals. Some of these medicines can also function as growth promoters.
In the 2024 list, Brazil appeared as authorized to export beef, chicken and horse meat, in addition to tripe, fish and honey. Now, the country appears excluded from the list of all these products.
Other Mercosur countries, such as Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, remain authorized to export to the EU.
Prohibition of antimicrobials
The European Union prohibits antimicrobials that are also used for animal growth, explains Leonardo Munhoz, doctor in agro-environmental law and lawyer at VBSO.
São they:
virginiamycin;
avoparcin;
cacitracin;
tylosin;
spiramycin;
avilamycin.
In April, the Ministry of Agriculture published an ordinance prohibiting the import, manufacture, marketing and use of some antimicrobials used as performance enhancers, including avoparcin and virginiamycin.
To return to the EU list, Brazil has two paths: legally restrict the use of other medicines mentioned or ensure that the exported meat does not contain these substances.
The second option is not easy to apply, as it depends on the traceability of the product, it is more time-consuming and costly, points out Munhoz.
As soon as it is proven that Brazilian livestock farming does not use these antimicrobials, the country will be able to export again, even if this happens after September.
According to the researcher, it was already known that the European Union had been planning these restrictions since 2019.
"It raises concern relevant for agriculture because the European Union is a strategic market for animal proteins and because these requirements can impact traceability, health certification and export compliance", says the researcher.
The European Union is the third largest destination for Brazilian beef in export value, after China and the United States, according to data from Agrostat, a system from the Ministry of Agriculture. For meat in general, the bloc is the second largest market, behind China.
What the sector said
At the beginning of the month, the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec) stated that Brazil that "any impediment to exports will only occur if the guarantees and adjustments required by European authorities are not presented by the established date", that is, September 3rd.
"Brazilian beef meets the sanitary and regulatory requirements of the main international markets, with strict official controls, traceability systems and globally recognized protocols. Currently, Brazil exports to more than 170 countries, supported by one of the most robust agricultural inspection and defense systems in the world", highlighted the entity.
The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) said that, with the support of the government, "it will provide all necessary clarifications to the European Union"
"It is important to emphasize: Brazil fully complies with all the requirements of the European Union, including the European Union. regarding antimicrobial regulations.

This is what Brazil will demonstrate to the European health authorities."
"The Brazilian sector reinforces that the country has robust health and production control structures, with strict traceability protocols, veterinary monitoring and responsible use of medicines, in line with international references on animal health and food safety", highlighted the ABPA.
The president of the Brazilian Association of Honey Exporters (Abemel), Renato Azevedo, told g1 that the measure "is something political, as there is a great pressure from Europeans to bar Brazilian products after the Mercosur agreement."
"For honey, it is completely unreasonable to talk about the risk of excessive use of antibiotics, considering that Brazil is the main producer of organic honey in the world", highlighted Azevedo.
The Brazilian Association of Fish Industries (Abepesca), in turn, said that it has not exported to the EU since 2016.
The Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) stated that the measure is worrying, especially "considering that the Free Trade Agreement between Mercosur and the European Union came into force at the beginning of this month".
The entity will seek to participate in dialogues with European authorities to reverse the measure.
The Parliamentary Agricultural Front said that, considering the trade agreement between the two blocs, it "sees with concern any attempt to transform regulatory requirements into political or commercial barriers against the competitiveness of Brazilian production".
The bench stated that it will monitor the issue with the sector and the authorities competent authorities.
Mercosur Agreement and European Union
The EU's announcement comes after the signing of a free trade agreement with Mercosur countries, criticized by European farmers and environmentalists, especially in France.
This Tuesday's measure is not related to the agreement, says Munhoz. The list is a health regulation, that is, a requirement that any country can adopt to guarantee the safety of food consumed by the population.
The agreement came into force on May 1, in provisional in nature, and awaits a court ruling in Europe on its legality.
"Our farmers follow some of the most stringent health and antimicrobial standards in the world. Therefore, it is legitimate for imported products to be subject to the same requirements. The decision taken today demonstrates that the European control system works", said European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen.
Beef
Photo by David Foodphototasty on Unsplash

Source: G1

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