EU suspends Brazilian meat imports, demanding sanitary guarantees

The European Union is suspending imports of Brazilian beef, poultry, eggs and honey after Brussels said Brazil had failed to provide sufficient guarantees on sanitary rules.

The European Commission said Brazil was removed in May from a list of countries considered compliant with EU rules on intensive antibiotic use in livestock production. The decision came amid pressure from the sector following the signing of the EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement.

A Commission spokesperson said, "Brazil is an important partner of the EU and we are working closely, constructively and positively, with the Brazilian authorities to ensure that they meet these requirements. Once compliance has been demonstrated, exports to the EU can resume."

The suspension has no announced end date. An audit covering poultry and honey is due to conclude on Friday. If EU countries consider its results satisfactory, imports in those sectors could be authorized again within the following weeks.

Beef may take longer to return. The Commission said the date when Brazil can certify compliance varies by sector because production cycles differ among animal species. The measures form part of the EU’s effort to combat antimicrobial resistance by limiting unnecessary antibiotic use.

The EU-Mercosur agreement, involving Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, was signed in January and provisionally entered into force on May 1.

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Brazil is an important partner of the EU and we are working closely, constructively and positively, with the Brazilian authorities to ensure that they meet these requirements. Once compliance has been demonstrated, exports to the EU can resume.