Exports of chicken and honey to the EU could soon resume, says European commissioner

Suspended since September 3, exports of chicken and honey to the European Union (EU) may resume in the short term. The indication was given this Wednesday (30) by the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič, during a meeting with ministers Mauro Vieira, of Foreign Affairs, and Márcio Elias Rosa, of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, in Milwaukee, in the United States.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G20 trade ministers meeting. The group is made up of the 19 largest economies on the planet, plus the European Union and the African Union.

According to a joint note from Itamaraty and the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (Mdic), the European representative mentioned the positive result of an audit recently carried out in Brazil and stated that, after the completion of bureaucratic procedures, shipments of poultry meat and honey to the bloc's countries could be resumed in the short term.

Technical decision

The final decision on the resumption of exports will be analyzed by the European Commission's Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed. The technical meeting is scheduled for October 20th and 21st.

The Ministry of Agriculture requested that the audit report be included on the committee's agenda. In the assessment released this week, the European Commission considered the Brazilian production system in the poultry and honey chains to be satisfactory and concluded that the country has the conditions to comply with European requirements related to the use of antimicrobials.

During the inspection, the auditors verified, among other points, Brazilian controls that prevent the use of antimicrobials to stimulate animal growth or increase production yield.

Beef

The Brazilian government is also trying to obtain an accelerated procedure for the resumption of beef exports. According to the note released after the meeting, Brazilian representatives expressed the expectation that the same treatment given to poultry and honey chains could be applied to bovine protein.

The situation, however, involves additional requirements. In the case of beef, proof of health control depends on monitoring the entire life cycle of the animal, from birth to slaughter. This traceability process can take up to two years, which makes reversing the restriction more complex.

Beef also represents a relevant portion of Brazilian exports of animal protein destined for the European market.

Suspension of sales

The European Union removed Brazil from the list of countries considered in compliance with the bloc's rules for the use of certain antimicrobials in livestock production. The substances can be used to treat infections in animals, but European legislation prohibits their use to stimulate growth.

The suspension of imports came into force on September 3 and affected products such as beef, pork and chicken, as well as honey, fish, eggs and other items of animal origin.

Since then, the Brazilian government has been negotiating with European authorities to reverse the restrictions. The audit carried out this month in the poultry and honey chains was considered a positive step, but does not, in itself, determine the resumption of purchases.

Other products

At the meeting in Milwaukee, Brazilian ministers and the European Commissioner also discussed European Union restrictions on steel imports.