Government assigns EU veto on Brazilian meat to companies

In a response sent to the Chamber of Deputies, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock stated that adaptation to new European health requirements depended, to a large extent, on Brazilian companies.

According to the document, some antimicrobials banned by the European Union continue to be registered in Brazil for use in cattle, poultry and pig farming. For this reason, the government chose not to ban these medicines throughout the national territory.

In view of this, the ministry argued that the measures necessary to allow exports to the European market depend on the creation and application, by the productive sector, of private control systems capable of complying with Brussels rules.

These mechanisms should ensure that animals destined for export to the European Union do not receive antimicrobials banned by the bloc throughout the entire production cycle. Only then could the Brazilian government issue the required health certification.

The document, dated June 25, is signed by the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, André de Paula. The response was sent to a request for information from federal deputy Evair de Melo about Brazil's removal from the European list, due to new rules on the use of antimicrobials in animal production.

Despite the exclusion, the ministry maintains that there was no administrative failure, regulatory delay or diplomatic insufficiency on the part of the Brazilian government.

In its response to Congress, Mapa states that, over three years, it sent letters, held technical meetings and repeatedly asked entities in the sector to present proposals to meet the European Commission's requirements.

Among the entities called for discussions were associations from the beef, meat processing, animal protein, dairy, cheese and honey exporting industries, as well as the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock.

In documents sent to the production sector, the ministry pointed out weaknesses in the proposals presented by the companies. According to Mapa, there was a lack of auditable elements and basic controls, such as records on animal feeding and the use of medicines on the properties.

Official documents also show that the European authority criticized the “recurrent lack of complete information” sent by the Brazilian government during negotiations held between 2023 and 2026.

The ministry reports that only in April this year did Brazil forward to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety a proposal considered, in general terms, satisfactory by the Brazilian technical area.

The proposal provided for a transition period, but the European Commission informed that it would not accept this alternative and maintained concerns, mainly in relation to the Brazilian beef production chain.

After the European demonstration, the production sector reviewed the protocol. In May, Mapa approved the Protocol for the Export of Cattle Free of Antimicrobial Medicines, which is voluntary.

According to the document, in a meeting held in the same month, the General Directorate of Health and Food Safety informed the Brazilian ambassador that it would not comment on the protocol and that it had not accepted the transition period proposal.

Brazilian government technicians classify the European Union's measure as an unreasonable health barrier against an important trading partner. The bloc, in turn, alleges a lack of sufficient guarantees.

The government states that it continues to negotiate with the European Union, which made the ban on Brazilian meat official as of September 3rd.

Exclusion from the European list creates a competitive disadvantage for Brazilian exporters within Mercosur, as neighboring countries managed to maintain their positions in the European market.

After the European Union, Mercosur turns to Asia with the start of negotiations with Japan

'We want to do the same with China and continue to get closer to the most dynamic markets', says Lula. Negotiations are underway with Vietnam, India, the United Arab Emirates and Canada; The United Kingdom and Canada are also interested