EU keeps Brazilian poultry and honey imports blocked while audit report is finalised

The European Commission has not confirmed any resumption of poultry meat and honey imports from Brazil and is waiting for the final report of the audit mission carried out in the country, Forbes Romania reported. The EU executive has set no timetable for publishing the report or for a possible reopening of the European market to the two product groups.

Mission over, report unfinished

Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova told reporters in Brussels that the experts must complete the mission report before the findings can be presented. Her comments followed claims by Brazilian authorities that the audit had validated the products under assessment. The Commission did not confirm that reading and underlined that the closing of an audit mission is only one stage in the verification procedure.

The immediate next step is the finalisation of the report and the analysis of the experts' conclusions. The Commission said it is continuing discussions with the Brazilian authorities, but it has not indicated a date for any decision on restoring the flows.

A favourable report is not an authorisation

If the experts' conclusions are positive, the Commission can propose amending the list of countries that meet EU requirements on the use of antimicrobials for the products concerned. That proposal must then be approved by the member states. Completing the audit is therefore not equivalent to immediate authorisation of exports to the European market. Three separate stages still stand between the Brazilian sector and renewed shipments:

• Experts finalise the audit mission report.
• The Commission analyses the conclusions and, if they are favourable, proposes changing the list of authorised countries.
• Member states approve the change before trade can resume.

Beef on a separate track

The situation differs for beef. The bovine sector was not included in the recent audit mission, and the Brazilian authorities still have to supply the compliance guarantees requested by the Commission. Hrncirova said Brazil has not so far provided the necessary guarantees that restrictions on antimicrobials are respected throughout the entire life of the animals.

The conclusions of the poultry and honey audit therefore cannot be extended automatically to the beef sector. At the Commission briefing no new mission for beef was announced, and no timetable was given for a reassessment of that sector.

The antimicrobial rules behind the block

The European rules target the use of certain antimicrobials in animal production. The substances cannot be used to promote growth or to increase animal yields, and animals intended for food production cannot be treated with antimicrobials reserved for certain human infections. Countries exporting such products to the European Union must guarantee that these requirements are met.

The new European antimicrobial requirements applicable to imports entered into force on 3 September. The list of authorised countries is based on the Commission's assessment of compliance and on guarantees provided by national authorities, and any change to it must be approved by the member states. The measures form part of the EU strategy against antimicrobial resistance and the protection of treatment efficacy. For Brazil, the decision on poultry and honey now depends on the audit conclusions, while beef requires additional guarantees.