The European Commission announced a ban on imports of meat, sausages, and animal products from Brazil starting in September, as part of its strategy to reduce the use of growth promoters — antibiotics used to accelerate weight gain in cattle, pigs, and poultry. The measure reignites the debate on sanitary requirements within Mercosur.
The president of the National Service for Quality and Animal Health (Senacsa), José Carlos Martin Camperchioli, explained that the European Union published a resolution in 2023 banning around 32 of these products, restricting their use exclusively to humans. The compliance deadline applied to all suppliers in the bloc, including Paraguay.
“Apparently, Brazil did not comply with the regulation or did not demonstrate that it did,” said Martin Camperchioli. The ban takes effect on September 3, but Brazilian authorities have more than three months to negotiate and meet the rules. The impact is expected to be greater in the poultry sector, as Brazil exports thousands of tons of chicken meat to Europe. Brazilian beef sent to the bloc amounts to only 60,000 tons, a volume that the Senacsa president considers insignificant.
The other Mercosur members — Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay — remain on the list of eligible countries and can continue operating normally. Martin Camperchioli assured that Paraguay has already met the requirement, notifying the European Union of its compliance in late 2023 and early 2024. The official veterinary service issued a resolution informing the more than 300 establishments of the Traceability System (Sitrap) about the ban.
The Senacsa president stated that if Paraguay negotiates the export of pork and poultry to the bloc, the same rules will apply, and the country is already working to meet these requirements. “We haven't reached that point yet, but we are confident that the list will expand to other species,” he said. He also emphasized that the compliance is not a consequence of the EU-Mercosur agreement, but rather a prior requirement, and that he does not foresee new requirements after the signing of the trade deal.
Martin Camperchioli informed that he will soon have a meeting at the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) with European authorities to discuss animal welfare and traceability, within the framework of Paraguay's Animal Identification System (SIAP).