EU demands antimicrobial control guarantees from Brazil to maintain meat exports

The European Union has tightened its requirements for Brazil regarding the control of antimicrobial use in livestock production. Brussels stated that the country has sufficient technical, financial and industrial capacity to comply with European sanitary standards, but must provide official evidence that its monitoring system is effective.

European Commission trade spokesperson Olaf Gill said that the requirement for guarantees on antibiotic control is not new. According to him, the EU has been raising the issue in discussions with Brazil for at least three to four years. Brussels now expects not only declarations from the Brazilian side, but also documented proof of supervision mechanisms.

The EU recently updated its rules on the use of antimicrobials in livestock farming and removed Brazil from the list of countries authorised to export certain animal-origin products to the European market. The restrictions will affect exports of meat, fish and honey and are scheduled to take effect on September 3.

European authorities believe that Brazil has not yet provided sufficient information on its procedures for monitoring and controlling antimicrobial use in the livestock sector. In contrast, other MERCOSUR countries have managed to remain within the EU-approved export framework after submitting the required documentation and guarantees.

At the same time, the European Commission stressed that the sanitary dispute should not halt progress on the EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement. For Brazil, the situation represents another challenge in relations with one of the world’s most demanding markets, as the country will need to improve transparency in veterinary controls to fully restore access to the European market for animal-origin products.

Tags: Brazil, EU, meat