The European Union voted to exclude Brazil from the list of countries that meet food safety standards.

A committee of the European Union, made up of experts from member states, decided on Tuesday to exclude Brazil from the list of countries that meet EU food safety standards, citing the use of antimicrobials to promote animal growth. This decision comes in the context of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, which provisionally came into force on May 1 and aims to liberalize trade in agricultural products between the EU and Mercosur countries.

European farmers are expressing concerns about unfair competition due to differences in production standards. The European Commission reiterated that food safety rules will continue to apply to imports from Latin America, and Brussels has negotiated protective measures for European farmers. Brazil will be able to resume imports into the EU once it demonstrates compliance with food safety standards, thus benefiting from the same tariff facilities as other Mercosur states.