EU warns Brazilian beef ban deadline cannot be met amid livestock disease surge

The European Commission’s deadline for a ban on Brazilian beef imports over food safety concerns cannot be met, a former EU food safety chief has warned, as the bloc faces mounting pressure to act amid a surge in livestock diseases. Speaking on Tuesday, John Dalli, former European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, backed claims by Maltese MEP Cyrus Engerer that Brussels lacks the infrastructure to enforce a July 1 deadline. “The system is not ready,” Dalli told reporters in Strasbourg. “We cannot guarantee the safety of Brazilian beef by July 1 without risking public health.”

The warning comes as the U.S. grapples with the spread of the flesh-eating screwworm fly, with three new cases confirmed in Texas last week, raising fears of a wider outbreak in cattle herds. The parasite, *Cochliomyia hominivorax*, has already devastated livestock in South America and Mexico, which on Monday announced it would block most live animal imports from the U.S. in response. “This is a ticking time bomb for European farmers,” said veterinary epidemiologist Dr. Elena Vasquez. “If the screwworm reaches EU borders, the economic damage could exceed €5 billion.”

Meanwhile, France marked the 50th anniversary of its landmark animal welfare law, Article L214, with activists accusing successive governments of systematically undermining its protections to favor industrial farming. The law, which recognizes animals as “sentient beings,” was supposed to ensure livestock were raised according to their biological needs. Yet a report by the advocacy group L214 found that 90% of France’s 120 million farmed animals—from pigs in gestation crates to chickens in barren cages—still live in conditions that violate the law. “The state has turned a blind eye for decades,” said L214 spokesperson Camille Labroue. “This is not just a legal failure; it’s a moral one.”

In Italy, the animal rights group Essere Animali has launched a campaign to ban cages in farming, citing a recent investigation that exposed brutal conditions in a DOP-certified Parma ham facility. The scandal has reignited debate over food labeling, with consumers increasingly skeptical of “quality” certifications that do not explicitly prohibit cruel practices. “A DOP label should mean more than just terroir,” said actress and activist Selvaggia Lucarelli, who is backing the legislative proposal. “It should guarantee dignity for the animals that die for our food.”

The convergence of these crises—from Brazil’s beef ban to the screwworm threat and Europe’s animal welfare failures—highlights the fragility of the continent’s food systems. With the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo now nearing 600 confirmed cases, experts warn that zoonotic diseases could further destabilize global supply chains. “We are one outbreak away from a catastrophe,” said WHO’s Dr. Amina Sow. “The question is not if, but when.”