Sources: Available upon request
The European poultry industry is calling on EU authorities to accelerate the implementation of regionalization protocols in response to recent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Brazil. The appeal comes after Brazil, the world’s largest poultry exporter, confirmed an HPAI outbreak on May 15, 2025, at a commercial breeding farm in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Following the outbreak, the European Union suspended poultry imports from Brazil, citing the loss of the country’s HPAI-free status. Under current EU regulations, poultry imports are only permitted from countries or regions certified as free from HPAI. However, the European poultry sector argues that a more nuanced, regionalized approach is urgently needed to avoid blanket bans that disrupt trade and supply chains unnecessarily.
Regionalization allows for trade restrictions to be applied only to affected areas rather than entire countries. While the EU has previously recognized regionalization in Brazil at the federal state level, industry leaders say the process for implementing these measures remains too slow and bureaucratic. They are urging the European Commission to streamline procedures and enhance cooperation with Brazilian authorities to ensure that unaffected regions can continue exporting poultry products.
The suspension of Brazilian poultry imports has had mixed effects on the European market. On one hand, it has provided temporary relief to local producers by reducing competition from lower-cost Brazilian imports. On the other hand, it has raised concerns about supply shortages and price volatility, particularly for processed poultry products where Brazil holds a significant market share.
The European poultry sector emphasizes that faster regionalization would strike a better balance between safeguarding animal health and maintaining stable trade flows. It would also align with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) guidelines, which support regionalization as a scientifically sound approach to managing disease outbreaks.
As Brazil works to contain the outbreak and restore its HPAI-free status, the European industry is watching closely. Stakeholders hope that this incident will serve as a catalyst for reforming the EU’s import protocols, making them more agile and responsive to evolving sanitary conditions.
In the meantime, European producers are ramping up domestic supply to meet demand, while policymakers weigh the long-term implications of the outbreak on food security and international trade dynamics.
Sources: Available upon request
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