At the end of November, the European Commission recalled imported shipments of Brazilian beef after banned hormones were detected. The meat was withdrawn in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and also in the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland.
According to European farmers’ organizations, the findings confirm that quality controls in Brazil are insufficient. Researchers from the Irish Farmers Association and the weekly Irish Farmers Journal observed during a visit that animal antibiotics and hormones not permitted in the EU are freely available there. They describe this as a significant risk for consumers and farmers in Europe.
The Irish farmers’ association states that the lack of oversight in Brazilian slaughterhouses made it possible for meat containing banned substances to enter Europe. The organization calls this a serious warning to EU politicians working on ratifying the Mercosur trade agreement.
The planned agreement between the EU and the South American countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay would create the world’s largest free trade zone. In that case, the Mercosur countries would be allowed to export up to 99,000 tons of beef and 180,000 tons of poultry per year to the EU at a reduced import tariff.
European farmers and livestock breeders say this creates an uneven playing field and unfair competition. EU countries have set up a compensation fund for their livestock and meat trade in case a significant imbalance arises. Within the European Parliament’s agricultural committee, this compensation fund is referred to as 'an empty shell.'
Pressure is mounting within the EU ahead of the final vote on the agreement. The European Parliament is set to decide in mid-December on a package of measures intended to address farmers’ concerns. This vote will precede a Mercosur countries meeting scheduled for December 20.
The concerns in Europe are not new. Last week an Irish study was published, again showing that growth agents banned in Europe for animal husbandry are available in parts of Brazil. These findings have led to renewed calls to reconsider import agreements.
Ireland and France still oppose the agreement, fearing it will disrupt their agricultural markets. European farmers’ organizations maintain that the recent recall demonstrates that the safety of imported meat cannot be taken for granted and that European standards must be fully guaranteed regardless of origin.