Overview

• Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida has put forward a plan to import hormone-free U.S. beef for domestic bresaola production and re-export it to the United States to boost American meat purchases and strengthen EU bargaining power.
• Davide Calderone, director general of Assica, said the proposal is technically feasible and could help reopen U.S. cured-beef exports that have been closed since the 2001 BSE crisis.
• Italy will continue to prohibit hormone-treated meat for its domestic market by using U.S. beef only in bresaola destined for export to the United States.
• Senator Silvia Fregolent condemned the scheme as a threat to the authenticity of Made in Italy products and a potential harm to local farmers’ interests.
• The proposal is now under active review in EU-U.S. trade talks as industry groups and policymakers assess its implications for food sovereignty and agricultural policy.