India, on the other hand, says that the European Union has nonetheless placed the country on a revised list of allowed countries for fish imports. This means India can continue that export from September, when the stricter EU procedures for monitoring antibiotics in the food industry come into effect.
Brazil is trying at the last minute to secure its meat exports to the European Union. Brazil has sent additional technical documentation to Brussels to demonstrate that it meets the tightened European rules for antimicrobial agents in livestock farming.
More supervision
Brazilian authorities say they have provided guarantees regarding supervision, traceability, control, and certification. The Brazilian government has recently tightened its rules and banned certain antimicrobial growth promoters. However, this does not automatically solve the problem for meat exports.
Promotion
For Brussels, it is not only a matter of what is legally banned, but also whether it can be actually demonstrated that producers comply. Moreover, this evidence must relate to the entire production chain. Brazil must guarantee that animals intended for Europe have not been treated with substances that are prohibited under EU rules.
The issue could have major trade consequences. Brazil accounts for about a quarter of Europe's imports of both chicken and beef. A trade ban could reduce supply in Europe and increase prices.
Fish from India allowed
At the same time, India is trying to avoid problems with the tightened European import requirements. According to the Indian public broadcaster News on Air, the European Union has meanwhile included India on a revised draft list of countries allowed to continue exporting aquaculture products. According to this report, Indian exports can therefore continue even after September.
The developments involving Brazil and India thus show different outcomes of the same tightened European approach. India reports that it remains on the revised list for its fish products. Brazil is still awaiting clarity for its meat exports and is trying to convince Brussels that its controls provide sufficient guarantees.