Copa and Cogeca, the farming and agri-cooperative organisations in the EU, gave a warm welcome on Friday 14 October to the publication by the EU Sheep Reflections Forum of its conclusions on the future of the sector.
They say that it is important to improve EU sheep producers’ incomes which are very low.
With 70% of areas facing natural handicaps grazed by sheep, they play an important environmental role in the EU.
Chairman of the Copa and Cogeca sheep working party Charles Sercombe said: “Sheep producers need increased market transparency and price reporting and young people need to be attracted into the sector”.
The conclusions emphasise promotion measures, strong EU support, market transparency and combating unfair trading practices in the food chain. The “sheep dashboard”, Copa and Cogeca say, is welcome news but, above all, sheep need to be added to the Meat Market Observatory. The Forum was set up on the initiative of European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan. Four meetings have already been held. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)