Brazilian beef to be banned from EU from September
The European Commission says Brazil will lose access from 3 September 2026 to the EU market for beef and other animal products unless it proves compliance with bloc rules on antimicrobial use throughout animals’ lifetimes.
The European Commission has confirmed that from 3 September 2026 Brazil will no longer be allowed to export beef and a range of other animal-origin products to the European Union unless it demonstrates compliance with EU rules on the use of antimicrobials throughout the lifetime of the animals. The measure covers not only beef, but also food-producing live animals and derived products such as poultry, eggs, aquaculture products, honey and casings.
Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncrova said Brazil is not included on the updated list of third countries that the EU considers compliant with its import requirements. The Commission said EU rules in force inside the bloc since 2022 prohibit the use of antimicrobials to promote growth or increase yield in livestock, and also bar the use in animals of antimicrobials reserved for treating infections in humans.
The decision follows approval by member-state officials in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed of an updated list of eligible exporting countries. According to the report, the list adds 21 new countries and retains five previously listed ones, but excludes Brazil. The Commission said Brazil can return only after providing guarantees that exported products come from animals raised in full compliance with the Union’s antimicrobial rules for their entire lifetime.
The move matters because it lands just after the EU-Mercosur agreement entered provisional effect on 1 May. Brazil is described as the only Mercosur country not included on the approved list. For the EU livestock market, that means tighter sanitary control over imports from a major exporting origin. For Brazilian exporters, it creates a direct risk of losing access to a high-value market unless traceability, veterinary oversight and compliance systems are strengthened.
Ireland’s Farmers’ Association welcomed the step as an important first move. Its president, Francie Gorman, said earlier investigations and inspections had pointed to weak controls over antibiotic use on farms in several Brazilian states. He argued that there can be no shortcuts on antimicrobial resistance, and that a robust database covering animals, prescribing, dispensing and treatment records would be a basic requirement before Brazilian beef could credibly return to the EU market.