Brussels, 02/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission would seem to have little enthusiasm for setting up a European beef meat observatory, despite calls from the EU agricultural organisations.
In his response to the calls made by the EU agricultural organisations and cooperatives (Copa-Cogeca), European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan said he understood what was being asked for and the reasons and arguments for setting up a beef and veal market observatory in view, in particular, of the success of the milk observatory. However, he said, the potential and usefulness of any such instrument was not limited to the beef sector but could apply to the other agricultural markets, too. Hogan drew attention to the recently set up beef meat “scoreboard” and gave assurances that efforts to provide up-to-date information and indicators on this market would be pursued.
“Very fragile” sector. The call for a market observatory to be put in place was repeated by a Copa-Cogeca delegation led by the chairman of the working party on beef and veal, Jean-Pierre Fleury, at a meeting with Commissioner Hogan. Producers in this “very fragile” sector “have particularly low incomes with around €14,000 annual income” Fleury said. “We therefore need a tool that can closely monitor the current situation and new trends”, he argued.
The Copa-Cogeca representatives also met the members of the private office of Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström to underline the concerns of EU livestock sector with regard to bilateral free-trade negotiations currently taking place which could threaten the most profitable part of the EU beef market, with particular reference to the possible resumption of talks with Mercosur. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)