Brazil, EU: meat imports will resume once they comply with EU regulations

Brussels – Is Brazil threatening the European Union with retaliatory measures if negotiations on its meat exports do not yield satisfactory results? For Brussels, the South American country “remains a strategic partner,” but the food safety of European citizens is a “top priority.” This was stated today (4 September) by the European Commission spokesperson, Olof Gill, regarding the EU ban on meat imports from Brazil, which came into force yesterday (3 September). 

Yesterday, the list of countries that comply with EU regulations on antimicrobials—chemical substances that may be present in meat to treat or prevent bacterial infections in animals and which are harmful to human health—entered into force. Brazil does not appear on the list as the meat it exports does not meet the compliance guarantees required by EU rules. According to reports by Reuters, the Brazilian government declared that it might take “reciprocal measures” against the EU should negotiations to lift the ban fail to produce “a satisfactory outcome.” This concern was reportedly expressed in a statement signed by the Ministries of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs. 

The issue was raised today (4 September) during the EU Commission’s daily press briefing. Gill reiterated that “Brazil is an important strategic partner for the European Union, with whom we cooperate closely, constructively, and positively across the full spectrum of policy areas,” but that “there is the issue of EU food safety standards,” which is why the Union is constantly seeking “ways to strengthen our sanitary and phytosanitary standards.” The spokesperson highlighted the “clear and long-standing commitment to combating antimicrobial resistance,” such as the regulations introduced in 2018. In this regard, he clarified that the rules that came into force yesterday for third countries, in the case of European producers, apply from 2022. 

“These rules have been known for some time, and third countries have been informed of them for many years,” the spokesperson emphasised, stating that “our rules on antimicrobial resistance apply fairly and without discrimination to all European producers and to all producers wishing to sell their products on our single market.” Not only that, “but we have worked closely with all third countries” and “supported all our trading partners in the transition to these new rules, including through numerous information sessions dating back to 2019”, he added. Therefore, “our approach is proportionate and non-discriminatory, and we have given our partners sufficient time and all the necessary information to comply.” The Commission now intends to continue “working closely with the Brazilian authorities to enable them to ensure that compliance with EU requirements is up to date” and, “once compliance has been demonstrated, exports of these products will be able to resume,” he concluded. 

Regulation on veterinary medicinal products (the legislation governing antimicrobials) was adopted in 2019 and came into force on 28 January 2022, with the aim of strengthening the EU’s fight against antimicrobial resistance, i.e. the ability of microorganisms to survive or grow in the presence of an antimicrobial agent that would normally inhibit or kill them. It also represents one of the major threats to public health and global development. In July 2022, the Commission and the Member States identified this phenomenon as one of the top three priority health threats.