From double standards to fairness: A turning point for EU food trade policy 

Properly implemented, ‘mirror measures’ could help level the playing field in global food markets

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By Marta Messa,
Brussels
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At a time when the EU is backtracking on essential protections for people and the planet, its decision in May to block Brazilian meat imports over the use of growth hormones and weak antimicrobial safeguards stands out as a rare act of accountability. 

Amid growing polarisation over the future of Europe’s food systems, the move drew unusually broad support – from major farming organisations and environmental groups to politicians across party lines.

Yet this should not be mistaken for a decisive win. It is, at best, a signal of what is possible. 

In reality, the system remains deeply flawed. The EU continues to import large volumes of food produced under conditions that would not be allowed within its own borders — from meat and dairy linked to poor animal welfare practices to crops treated with pesticides banned for their risks to human health and the environment. 

This is the EU’s enduring “double standard”. 

On the one hand, European farmers are required to meet relatively high environmental, animal welfare and social production standards.

On the other hand, imported food and feed from highly environmentally-destructive and socially-unjust production practices are allowed to enter the market freely, often at lower cost.

The result is a race to the bottom: farmers both in Europe and abroad are pushed towards intensification, a model of industrial food production that reduces food to a mere commodity to be sold on faraway markets at low prices. The relentless price pressure and market competition creates an even steeper uphill battle to transition to agroecology. 

A pathway for reform: mirror measures 

The recent decision on Brazilian imports points to a possible way forward: one in which the EU applies a coherent approach in its EU trade policy, so bilateral trade agreements do not undermine EU regulations. 

The ban on the use of growth-promoting antibiotics in livestock farming (entering into force in September 2026) is an example of a so-called “mirror measure”—a policy tool that requires imported agricultural and food products to comply with standards equivalent to those applied within the EU. 

Properly implemented, mirror measures could help level the playing field in global food markets. They would protect farmers and eaters both within and beyond Europe while encouraging production systems that respect people, animals and ecosystems. 

One of the most immediate opportunities lies in the regulation of pesticides—an area that starkly illustrates the EU’s current incoherence.

While many toxic substances are banned within the bloc, EU-based companies continue to export large volumes of these same chemicals to other countries. 

In 2024, European pesticide companies exported 122,000 tonnes of banned pesticides, which was 50 percent more from what it had exported in 2018, the majority sent towards Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

What this means in practice is that what is considered too dangerous for Europe continues to be manufactured and exported for profit. Later on, these chemicals often return to European markets in the form of residues on imported food.  

In the ongoing discussions on the EU’s Food and Feed Omnibus, a critical point lies in introducing stricter maximum residue limits (MRLs), which is one of the most contested chapters along with the pesticide approvals. 

Under the current version of the proposal, the vast majority of banned pesticides would continue to enter the EU via food imports. By introducing a default ban on residues of any pesticide substances not approved in the EU, the single market would take a decisive step toward aligning its trade practices with its own standards. 

While the European Commission has argued that such measures may not be legally feasible, this view is contested. 

A recent legal opinion commissioned by the Veblen Institute, PAN Europe and Foodwatch suggests that EU and international law not only allow for such action, but may in some cases require it.  

Building the foundations of a fairer food system 

Introducing stricter rules on imports alone will not resolve all the challenges facing European food systems. But impacts on empowering short supply chains could be significant. 

Pesticides are a cornerstone of the current industrial food system. For farmers who rely on them, they represent a costly and often volatile input. Reducing their use—both within and beyond Europe—would help lower dependency, increase resilience, and create space for more sustainable practices to emerge. 

More broadly, aligning import standards with domestic ones would begin to rebuild the trust that has been eroded between farmers, institutions and citizens. It would send a clear signal that the EU is serious about fairness—not only within its own territory, but across its global supply chains. 

Reforming trade policy through measures such as these is not about closing Europe off. It is about ensuring that trade supports, rather than undermines, the transition to sustainable food systems. 

If done right, mirror measures could help move us away from a system that rewards the cheapest production at any cost, toward one that values care — for land, for people, and for the future of food. 

This stakeholder article is paid for by a third party. All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author and not of EUobserver.

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Properly implemented, 'mirror measures' could help level the playing field in global food markets

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Author Bio

Marta Messa Born in Italy, Marta has been part of the Slow Food movement since 2010. After coordinating the Gardens in Africa project, Marta opened the Slow Food office in Brussels, Belgium as a springboard for the movement’s advocacy work. Here she liaises with EU institutions on food policy, provides a platform for the Slow Food network and nurtures strategic partnerships with international organisations. Marta was elected Secretary General of Slow Food in July 2022.

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