BRUSSELS/SAO PAULO, Oct 21 (Reuters) – The European Commission said on Wednesday it intends to propose the re-listing of Brazil for imports of poultry meat and honey, with member states expected to vote on the measure at the committee’s next meeting.
An EU ban on animal products from Brazil took effect in September, affecting mainly beef and poultry, as the bloc sought guarantees that prohibited antimicrobial substances were not used in production.
• Brazil said last month it expected to be re-listed soon as EU officials deemed the country’s sanitary controls for poultry and honey “satisfactory” during an inspection
• The Commission said in a Wednesday statement that it had presented at a meeting the findings of an audit on poultry meat and honey carried out in Brazil, describing the results as “positive”
• Questions from member states on the scope of the proposal, the segregation system in place and veterinary prescriptions’ controls were addressed during the meeting, it added
• “The Commission confirmed its intention to propose re-listing of Brazil for these two commodities,” it said
• “For bovine products, Brazil is not yet able to reliably certify compliance with the lifetime requirements, and the Commission does not currently intend to propose re-listing this commodity,” it added
• Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of beef and chicken and home to major meat processors including JBS, MBRF and Minerva
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Fernando Cardoso)
