Irish Ambassador confirms that the European Union will not relax rules for Brazilian meat
The Irish ambassador to Brazil, Martin Gallagher, declared this week that the European Union does not intend to ease sanitary requirements for the import of Brazilian meat. The position was reaffirmed as Ireland holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, a position that began on July 1 and lasts for six months.
Gallagher highlighted that European standards regarding the use of antimicrobial substances in livestock farming are long-standing and have been the subject of discussions with Brazilian authorities for several years.
The diplomat stated that “these requirements related to standards for the use of antimicrobials are not new. They have been known for a long time, and the European Union had been maintaining dialogue with the Brazilian authorities about these standards for some time.”
According to the ambassador, the exclusion of Brazil from the list of nations authorized to export meat products to the European market was a “technical” measure. Now, it is up to the Brazilian government to implement the necessary adjustments to meet the standards required by the bloc.
Antimicrobials are compounds used to treat and prevent diseases in animals. Some of these drugs can also be used as growth promoters, a practice restricted by European legislation.
The European Union formalized inbeginning of Junethe removal of Brazil from the list of countries considered capable of following its standards for controlling the use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry. Consequently, Brazil will be unable to export meat and other derivatives to the European market fromSeptember 3.
Until then, Brazil had authorization to trade beef, chicken and horse meat, as well as offal, fish and honey, with the European bloc. With the recent determination, all of these items will lose access to the European Union market.
Last week, the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec) stated that there are “great chances” that Brazilian meat production will not be able to adapt in time to the new demands of the European Union, which could culminate in the suspension of exports.
According to Abiec, the extensive production cycle of cattle farming, which takes around 30 months, poses significant challenges for rapid adaptation to new regulations.
Gallagher pointed out that other South American nations managed to comply with European Union requirements and, therefore, remain qualified to export.
“Other countries in South America managed to meet the requirements of the European Union. The decision taken by the committee responsible for this topic was a technical decision. The committee evaluated several countries, and those that technically met the requirements remained on the list of exporters authorized to sell to the European Union”, he explained, highlighting the objective nature of the evaluation.
For the ambassador, the criteria adopted by the bloc are transparent and direct.
“The rule is very simple: whoever meets the standards remains on the list; whoever does not meet the list is no longer part of it. Technical standards are at the heart of the European Union and of the European project itself”, defended the diplomat, highlighting the importance of the criteria.
Despite the decision, Gallagher reported that the Brazilian government maintains an open dialogue with the European Commission in search of a solution. He stated that the bloc remains receptive to negotiations.
“I believe that this is exactly the correct path”, he commented, reinforcing that impasses of this nature must be resolved through diplomacy and continuous dialogue.
When asked about possible measures to resume exports, the ambassador clarified that Brazil will need to implement a system that guarantees full compliance with European health requirements.
He assured that the European Union is available to discuss the best ways of adapting with the Brazilian government, but reiterated that the primary responsibility lies with the Brazilian authorities.
“Ultimately, however, the responsibility lies with the Brazilian side, which needs to establish the necessary standards”, reiterated Gallagher, emphasizing Brazil’s autonomy in adopting the measures.
To illustrate the bloc’s position, Gallagher made a comparison with the health requirements that Brazil imposes on imported products.
“If I want to export products from Ireland to Brazil, I also need to comply with Brazilian sanitary and phytosanitary requirements before I can sell these products. It’s the same principle. Brazil would not reduce its standards just because Ireland wants to export a certain product. Likewise, the European Union will not do that either”, he explained, reinforcing reciprocity in trade rules.
Asked if a solution could be reached before September 3, the date on which the suspension of exports comes into force, the ambassador said he did not participate directly in the negotiations and, therefore, could not predict a deadline. However, he expressed confidence that the impasse could be resolved over time, as long as dialogue between the parties was maintained.
Consequences of the Mercosur-European Union agreement
Although he considers it premature to quantify the exact impact, the diplomat mentioned that it is already possible to notice the first effects of the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, which came into force in May.
The ambassador revealed: “Today we had access to commercial data that show that, in the first two months of implementation of the agreement, there was an increase of approximately R$10 billion in Brazilian exports to the European Union.” He highlighted, however, that it is not possible to attribute this growth exclusively to the agreement, but that the increase in trade between the blocs is notable.
He further added: “In addition, in the first six months of this year, we registered a growth of around 13% in Brazilian exports to the EU. Therefore, everything indicates that the agreement is starting to take effect, although more time is needed to fully evaluate its results.”
Enacted in May by Brazil’s National Congress, the trade agreement establishes one of the largest global free trade areas.
Signed on January 17 in Paraguay, after more than 25 years of negotiation, the pact provides for the reduction or gradual elimination of import and export tariffs for more than 90% of total trade between the blocs.
In addition, the agreement establishes uniform standards for trade in industrial and agricultural products, investments and regulatory standards covering several areas.
Within the scope of the European Union, the agreement was sent to the European Court of Justice for analysis and issuing an opinion. The Court, the ambassador explained, follows its own schedule, and he hopes the next steps will not take long.
Gallagher concluded: “But, as in any democratic system, the judiciary is independent. Therefore, we need to allow the Court to carry out its work at its own pace”, recognizing the autonomy of the European judiciary.
