Brazil confident to regain permission to export pork to the EU
The European Union (EU) removed Brazil from the list of countries authorised to export meat and animal products to the bloc last week. Brazil, while being surprised, said it was confident it would obtain renewed permission soon.
The EU’s justification is that Brazil did not provide sufficient guarantees regarding the use of antimicrobial growth promoters. The EU measure threatens more than US$2 billion in Brazilian agribusiness exports. The developments occurred only a few days after 1 May, the day on which the free trade agreement (FTA) between Mercosur and the EU provisionally started to apply.
As a result, Brazil will no longer be allowed to export products such as beef, poultry, pork, eggs, honey and fish products to the EU from September 3.
European Commission health spokesperson Eva Hrnčířová told the Portuguese news agency Lusa that Brazil must ensure compliance with antimicrobial requirements throughout the animals’ entire life cycle in order to get back on the list.
The revised list includes 101 countries, among them the other Mercosur members, such as Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Supplying the required information
Brazil’s government expects to be able to swiftly supply the required technical information. That would allow the EU to analyse the data and place Brazil back on the list of authorised exporters before the deadline expires.
Various prominent Brazilian politicians responded to the EU announcement. Brazil’s vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin, said, “We are confident regarding this EU issue. The technical information will be provided within 15 days. Trade relations remain tense despite the FTA.”
Alckmin said that Brazil’s ambassador to the EU, Pedro Costa e Silva, met with the bloc’s diplomatic representatives the day after the announcement in Brussels. He was informed that technical clarifications would take place over the coming weeks.
“Brazil has a solid sanitary system”
André de Paula, minister of agriculture and livestock, said that the Brazilian government had been surprised by the European measure being brought forward. He said, “Brazil has a solid sanitary system. We have been exporting for more than 40 years. We exported yesterday, we export today, and we will export tomorrow.”
He said, “We will take every necessary measure to adapt. We are convinced that we will face this challenge and overcome it.” He added, “Our ambassador said that we are partners, and partnership presupposes partner-like treatment”, he said.
Sector by sector
Luis Rua, Brazil’s secretary of trade and international relations, stated that Brazil had been awaiting EU feedback since October last year regarding protocols for antimicrobial use. He said, “We have been requesting since October a position on whether Brazilian protocols are adequate. We were removed even after raising the issue several times.”
Rua took part in a meeting with the EU ambassador to Brazil, Marian Schuegraf. He said, “We want this to be resolved as quickly as possible, with speed, transparency and based on technical issues.”
“Different products should be treated differently. Each has its own particularities. These are highly technical issues. We also need to understand exactly what additional requirements the EU is demanding.”
