BRUSSELS, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) is on the track to suspending meat imports involved in Brazil meat scandal, a spokesperson said Monday.
"The commission is in the process of ensuring that any of the establishment implicated in the fraud are suspended from the exporting to the EU," said Enrico Brivio, spokesman of the European Commission.
Intensive contacts have taken place between the EU and Brazilian authorities since Friday, when the Brazilian police uncovered a massive scheme of meat adulteration, which involved some of the country's largest meat producers.
The EU and member states stayed vigilant on meat imports from Brazil and accordingly have enhanced the control, the spokesman told a press briefing, adding that Brussels has asked for further clarification from Rio de Janeiro but got no specific information at this stage.
According to media reports, the size of affected meat imports seemed to be small and the two sides were working to figure out the detailed amount and specific kinds of product to the EU markets, said Brivio.
The commission noted that the scandal had no direct link to the EU's free trade talks with South American bloc Mercosur and any future deal would be supposed to meet the EU's high regulatory requirements and food safety standards.
