FAESP criticizes European Union restrictions on Brazilian meat and honey
FAESP (Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of the State of São Paulo) harshly criticized the European Union's decision to restrict the import of Brazilian meat, honey and other products of animal origin. In a released statement, the entity classified the measure as unnecessary, discriminatory and without technical or scientific support.
According to the Federation, the European initiative represents a unilateral change in the conditions negotiated over more than two decades between Mercosur and the European Union. For the federation, after 25 years of negotiations and understandings between the blocs, the adoption of new requirements creates artificial obstacles to international trade and compromises the necessary predictability for commercial relations.
FAESP argues that the argument used by the European Union, related to the use of antibiotics in animal production, does not hold up in the face of the reality of the global market. The entity highlights that countries that compete with Brazil, such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand, use similar products in their production systems and have not been subject to equivalent measures by Europeans.
In the federation's assessment, the difference in treatment highlights a protectionist stance aimed specifically at reducing the competitiveness of Brazilian products in the international market. The entity states that national agriculture follows strict health protocols and that the quality of Brazilian production is recognized worldwide.
According to FAESP, over the last few decades the country has built one of the most solid health control systems in the world, consolidating itself as an international reference in the production of animal protein. The entity also highlights that the sanitary excellence of the Brazilian herd is one of the sector's main competitive differentiators.
Faced with what it considers a commercial and reputational attack on national agribusiness, the federation demands firmer action from the federal government in international negotiations. For the entity, Brazil should not passively accept measures considered unjustified and needs to defend its commercial interests more forcefully in international forums.
FAESP also defends a joint articulation of Mercosur countries in the face of the European decision. According to the entity, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil must build a unified regional position to strengthen the bloc's negotiating power and respond in a coordinated manner to the restrictions imposed by the European Union.
The president of FAESP, Tirso Meirelles, states that Brazilian rural producers do their part by investing in quality, health and sustainability within rural properties. According to him, it is now up to Brazilian diplomacy to ensure that the sector receives fair treatment in the international market and that the competitiveness achieved by national agribusiness is preserved.
The federation concludes that Brazil has a strategic role in global food security and that respect for international trade rules is essential to ensure the continuity of commercial relations between countries and economic blocs.
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Source: CNN