October 17, 2007

Brazil vows to improve animal health as threat of EU ban hovers

The agriculture ministry of Brazil on Tuesday (October 16) has promised to comply with the animal health requirements imposed by the European Union by the end of the year to avoid an import ban by the EU.

The EU's Executive Commission will decide by the end of the year whether to squeeze restrictions after assessing health controls in Brazil. An EU ban is currently 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.

Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes said that Brazil's meat exports reaches 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 conduct three inspections in Brazil in November and evaluate by the end of the year whether deficiencies -- such as problems with traceability of cattle -- remain.

Stephanes said a range of measures are available depending on the seriousness of the deficiencies and they could increase testing requirements if necessary.

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.