It was supposed to mark a new era of free trade between Europe and South America, yet only shortly after the EU–Mercosur agreement entered into force, Brussels is already tightening restrictions on Brazilian food products. From September 2026, some animal-origin products from Brazil may be eliminated from the EU market due to serious concerns regarding production safety, the use of growth hormones, and antibiotics banned in Europe.
Huge concerns over food from Brazil
The European Union–Mercosur agreement (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) was meant to open a new chapter in trade between Europe and South America. Supporters of the deal argued that it would bring cheaper food, greater competition, and new export opportunities for both sides. However, only days after the agreement began to apply, Brussels has been forced to respond to growing controversies surrounding the quality of animal-origin products imported from Brazil.
From September 3, 2026, Brazil may lose the ability to export some animal-origin products to the European Union. The reason is objections raised by the European Commission regarding the lack of adequate quality guarantees and failure to meet EU food safety standards. Of particular concern is the use in Brazilian cattle farming of the hormone estradiol 17, whose use in food production has been banned in the European Union since 2003. European regulations were based at the time on studies indicating that the substance may have carcinogenic effects.
However, this is not the only problem. European agricultural organizations and food safety organizations are also raising alarms about the scale of antibiotic use in Brazilian beef production and accuse the European Commission of only now beginning to recognize the risks associated with importing meat from Mercosur countries. Critics of the agreement have for months warned that European agricultural producers would be forced to compete with food produced according to standards far less restrictive than those in force within the EU.
Brazil’s reaction
The decision by Brussels triggered a sharp reaction from the authorities of Brazil. The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reportedly received the EU position with great surprise and announced immediate measures aimed at reversing the restrictions. Experts point out, however, that problems with Brazilian standards have long been known. Local media report that potential losses for the meat sector could reach billions of euros annually. The EU remains one of the most prestigious and profitable export destinations for Brazilian producers.
In line with the fundamental economic principle that markets dislike a vacuum, Argentina is already using Brazil’s problems to strengthen its own export position. Argentine media emphasize that local meat producers meet the stringent quality standards required by the European Union and may take over part of the market lost by Brazil.
The growing conflict demonstrates that food safety issues are becoming one of the main fields of trade disputes in the 21st century. For European consumers, the issue primarily concerns the quality of products reaching their tables. For EU farmers, the stakes involve maintaining competitiveness against imports produced at lower costs and under less rigorous regulations. It is worth recalling that just a week earlier, a large shipment of Brazilian poultry contaminated with salmonella reached the Greek market. Agricultural organizations warn that increasing inflows of cheap meat may not only hurt European producers, but also weaken consumer confidence in the safety of food available on the EU market.
The dispute over Brazilian beef may become the first serious test of the durability of the EU–Mercosur agreement. Increasing numbers of political and agricultural circles in Europe are demanding that trade with South American countries be conditioned on full compliance with European standards concerning public health, animal welfare, and food production safety.
The trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries is currently in the phase of provisional application, which began on May 1, 2026. The EU decided to divide the agreement into two separate instruments: the trade part (without waiting for approval from the national parliaments of all 27 member states) and the partnership agreement, which requires ratification by each member state individually. For this reason, although the agreement is already being applied, its future remains the subject of legal and political struggle.