Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) denied that the government had asked the European Union to relax sanitary requirements for meat exports. Technical negotiations remain ongoing as the deadline for a possible suspension of exports approaches.
In early June, the EU removed Brazil from the list of countries considered eligible to comply with its sanitary requirements, opening the possibility that Brazilian exports of meat and other animal products could be suspended as of September 3 unless an agreement is reached.
The ministry said it is awaiting a final response from European authorities regarding the documentation already submitted, which details the inspection mechanisms and guarantees provided by the official sanitary control system for sectors including beef, poultry, eggs, honey and fishery products.
The main point of contention is how compliance with the requirements should be demonstrated. Brazil considers it inappropriate to provide advance proof of measures that are verified throughout the production cycle and argues that the official inspection system should be responsible for preventing the certification of products that fail to meet the required standards.
The ministry defended the robustness of Brazil’s sanitary system, noting that the country exports animal products to more than 150 countries and that inclusion on the European list represents recognition of the reliability of its inspection system, although it does not automatically mean that all products are authorised for export.
Source: Pecuária
