Itamaraty has intensified conversations with the European Union in light of the economic bloc’s decision to formalize the removal of Brazil from the list of countries authorized to sell certain animals and products of animal origin to the bloc under the new health rules for the use of antimicrobials.
On Friday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, spoke with the European Union’s trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, and discussed the need for the bloc’s communications with Brazil to be more fluid in the current phase of implementation of the agreement with Mercosur.
According to members of the Brazilian government, the formalization made by the European Union in relation to Brazilian meat this Saturday was already expected, as it was being dealt with at the technical level.
The measure was published in the Official Gazette of the European Union and comes into effect on September 3. The Brazilian government intends to act until then to ensure that Brazilian meat is no longer purchased by the bloc.
In practice, if the country does not have the marking again by September, Brazilian exports of some categories may be barred from the European market. The regulation cites the withdrawal of authorization for:
- Cattle
- Equines
- Aves
- Aquaculture
- Mel
- Guts
These categories appeared with an “X” in the previous list, a sign used by the European Union to indicate the countries that presented guarantees of compliance with the rules. In the new regulation, the European Commission states that it did not receive sufficient information from Brazil to prove that the required measures will be complied with by September.
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The European requirement is linked to controlling the use of antimicrobials in animal production. The bloc’s rules prohibit, for products exported to the European Union, the use of antimicrobials as growth promoters or to increase yield, in addition to medicines reserved for the treatment of infections in humans.
The decision does not mean, according to the European text, that an irregularity has been identified in a specific load of Brazilian meat. The central point is documentary and sanitary: the European Commission says it has not received guarantees that Brazil has implemented the necessary measures to meet the new requirements.
