Understand the EU restriction on antimicrobials
The European Union's decision to remove Brazil from the list of countries authorized to export products of animal origin to the bloc has reignited commercial and health tensions between Brasília and Brussels.
The measure, which comes into force on September 3, 2026, is related to European rules on the use of antimicrobials in livestock farming and could affect exports of meat, eggs, honey, fish and other Brazilian agricultural products.
The restriction is part of the European health policy to combat antimicrobial resistance, considered by the World Health Organization to be one of the biggest global threats to public health.
EU regulations prohibit the use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials to stimulate animal growth or increase productivity in livestock farming. They also prohibit the use, in animals, of medicines reserved exclusively for human treatments.
According to the European Commission, Brazil did not provide sufficient guarantees of compliance with these requirements.
The updated list was approved by the European Union's Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed. As a result, the country was left out of the list of qualified exporters, although sales will still continue normally until September.
For its part, the Brazilian government stated that it received the decision "with surprise" and informed that it will adopt measures to try to reverse the exclusion. In a joint statement, the ministries of Agriculture, Foreign Affairs and Development, Industry and Commerce said that Brazil has a "robust and internationally recognized" health system and highlighted that the country has been exporting to the European market for more than 40 years.
Soon after the announcement, the Brazilian government met with the Europeans and committed to sending information within 15 days. In the meantime, the government has also published new guidelines for the use of inputs in livestock farming to avoid future lockdowns.
Still, if achieved, the reversal should not be quick for all products.
To CNN Brasil, sources involved in the negotiations stated that Brazilian authorities are working to gather and send the information required by the European bloc this Monday (25). The objective is to prove the control of the use of antimicrobials in Brazilian animal production.
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The commercial relationship between Brazil and the European Union in agriculture is historic and strategic. The European bloc is one of the main destinations for Brazilian agricultural exports, especially animal protein.
In 2025, European imports of Brazilian meat grew by more than 130%, amid the progress of the Mercosur-EU agreement and the increase in international demand.
The European decision gained political weight precisely because it occurred just a few days after the entry into force of the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, negotiated over more than two decades.
Brazil argues that other Mercosur partners, such as Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, remain qualified, which increases diplomatic pressure on Brasília.
Brazilian agribusiness entities classified the measure as disproportionate and highlighted that national livestock farming follows internationally recognized health standards.
The Parliamentary Agricultural Front stated that the restriction does not represent a structural health failure and highlighted that Brazil exports meat to more than 170 markets.
On the other hand, European authorities reinforce that the rules applied to the bloc's producers must also apply to imported products. European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, said that European farmers follow "some of the most stringent antimicrobial standards in the world" and that controls on imports demonstrate the functioning of the European health system.
Experts estimate that Brazil's next step will be to accelerate regulatory adjustments and expand traceability mechanisms to meet European requirements. The Brazilian government has already started diplomatic negotiations in Brussels and is seeking a transition period to avoid deeper impacts on exports.
In the agricultural sector, the assessment is that the episode could accelerate structural changes in Brazilian animal production, mainly in the control of antibiotics, health certification and transparency in the production chain.
At the same time, the case reinforces a global trend towards tightening environmental and health barriers in international trade, especially in the most demanding markets in Europe.
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Source: CNN