The European Union (EU) is conducting an audit in Brazil to verify whether the guarantees for compliance with European requirements are being applied in practice regarding various products supplied by the country, including beef, chicken meat, eggs, honey, and aquaculture products.
The Directorate-General for Food Safety and Health of the European Commission will carry out this audit, which is expected to be finalized on September 4, according to information provided by an official source from the institution to the Lusa agency.
In a written response to Lusa, the official source detailed that the scope of the audit will focus on the products for which Brazil provided written guarantees at the time of inspection, specifically poultry and honey. If the audit results are favorable, the European Commission may consider suggesting an amendment to the list of authorized third countries, allowing for Brazil's reinclusion for these items.
However, it was emphasized that any proposal of this nature will require a vote by Member States in a permanent committee, and the Commission cannot predict an exact timeline or anticipate the outcome at this stage.
The central issue involves the regulation that updates the list of third countries authorized to export animals destined for food production and animal products to the EU, in line with new European standards on the use of certain antimicrobials. This regulation comes into force on September 3, following a review conducted last May.
Currently, Brazil is not on this list, which implies that starting September 3, 2026, the country will cease to be able to export certain categories of products to the EU, covering both live animals and derived products, such as bovine, equine, poultry, eggs, aquaculture products, honey, and offal, according to the European Commission.
The community audit will take place one day after the implementation of the new European rules on the use of antimicrobials in animals intended for food. These rules prohibit the use of these medicines for growth promotion or yield increase, in addition to restricting the use of substances intended for treating human infections.
Brussels clarified that the audit specifically focuses on the categories where Brazil provided written guarantees at the time of inspection. The situation differs for other products; in the case of beef and eggs, Brazil failed to provide the required guarantees for the entire life of the animals during the audit. In the aquaculture sector, exports to the European Union are not actually authorized.
Considering that Brazil is an important supplier to the EU for some of these items, such as beef and poultry, the European Commission recognizes that the suspension will have an impact on some European operators. However, Brussels emphasizes that the requirements are non-discriminatory and applicable to all third countries exporting to the Union, stating that it maintains close contact with Brazilian authorities and continues to work with the country to ensure compliance with the standards.