Brazil: Animal health control will be improved in face of EU beef import ban threat

Brazil's agriculture minister on Tuesday promised his country would comply with EU animal health requirements by the end of the year to avoid risking an extension of a partial EU import ban on Brazilian beef.

The EU's executive Commission will decide by the end of the year whether to tighten the restrictions, after assessing health controls implemented by the South American nation. An EU ban is in place on imports from three Brazilian states due to the presence of foot-and-mouth disease, and the EU imposes strict safety measures on beef from other parts of the country.

"We're certain all the requirements will be complied with ... within the (end-of-the-year) deadline," Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes said.

He said that Brazil exports meat to 140 countries and "the fact we haven't yet complied with all the EU requirements doesn't mean we don't have a quality product. Some of the requirements have only been imposed on us by the Europeans."

EU health commissioner Markos Kyprianou said the EU would carry out three inspections in Brazil in November and evaluate by the end of the year whether deficiencies — such as problems with traceability of cattle — remain.

"We have a range of measures available depending on the seriousness of the deficiencies. It doesn't necessarily mean an import ban We could increase testing requirements ... it depends on the actual situation," he said after meeting Stephanes.

Kyprianou said he believed Brazil's remaining animal health problems can be dealt with "quite easily."

The EU currently demands cattle must be disease-free and located in a foot-and-mouth-free state 90 days prior to slaughter if the meat is to be exported to the EU. The slaughter must be carried out in an abattoir approved by the EU, and only matured and de-boned meat is allowed for export.