The constantly growing world population, escalating food insecurity levels globally, geopolitical conflicts, increased food price volatility, and emerging environmental exigencies concerning the agricultural sector are shaping the new paradigm that the European Union is transitioning to. However, the path towards resilience, sustainability, and high levels of competitiveness requires a performance assessment that could support policymakers to take informed actions to enhance efficiency. Thus, the objective of this research was to provide empirical evidence and solutions to better navigate the challenges faced by the meat market of the European Union. The literature is complemented by this paper with a novel approach of measuring performance based on import and export flows, as well as trade balance results. Data used in this study were extracted from International Trade Centre's platform, covering the period from 2012 to 2023. Swine, bovine, and poultry were the types of meats analyzed in this paper. They were considered representative, since they collectively accounted for nearly 82% of the European Union's total exports of meat and edible meat offal. The research findings showed that Ireland, the Netherlands, and Poland are leading exporters with significant trade surpluses in bovine and poultry meats, with high specialization and strategic market dominance. On the flip side, Italy's pronounced trade deficits in both bovine and swine meats signal a substantial dependence on imports, calling for policy interventions to enhance self-sufficiency. Spain leads in terms of swine meat market performance, while Italy, Poland and Romania face large trade deficits, underscoring their reliance on imports. This detailed examination across different meat types revealed distinct challenges and opportunities for growth and sustainability.