Copa-Cogeca denounces EU's intention to increase import quotas in Mercosur deal
Copa and Cogeca denounce the EU move to improve the beef offer and warns about jeopardizing public health and climate change objectives.
In the latest Mercosur trade talks, the European Commission has proposed an import quota of 70,000 tons of beef from the South American countries.
”The EU has already put a too generous offer on beef in its market access offer to Mercosur and it is now considering raising this offer to include higher quantities of beef. It is scandalous to give European consumers more beef from these countries when the safety standards are not equivalent. Eighty-six percent of our beef imports already come from these countries which do not meet the same quality or traceability standards as us," Chairman of Copa and Cogeca Beef Working Party Jean-Pierre Fleury said.
"This potential increase in beef exports from Brazil to the EU is not good news if EU consumers do not want to be exposed to antibiotic residues which are used in these countries and banned in the EU. Since the microbiological tests have been reinstated, 22 lots of beef from Brazil were seized recently at borders for failing to comply with EU sanitary requirements. The recent food fraud there involved falsification of export certificates for ten years or more,” Mr. Fleury added.
“Despite the willingness of the EU to be leaders on climate change, a potential deal with Mercosur would have a negative impact on the climate. Comparing a map of Brazil today to 20 years ago shows the extent of deforestation there due to a sharp increase in agricultural production. This boosts greenhouse gas emissions whilst the EU has cut its emissions by over 20% since 1990”, concluded the Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen.
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