The French Minister of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, and his Austrian counterpart, Elisabeth Köstinger, signed a statement on 17 December calling on the European Commission to develop a European strategy on plant proteins.
Despite the great potential for plant protein production in Europe, there is still a deficit in the European Union, which is therefore dependent on imports from third countries, according to a press release from the French ministry.
The ministers from the two countries stressed the importance of: - strengthening domestic production of plant proteins which meet the high EU standards; - shortening transport routes with regional supply chains; - helping to make plant proteins fit for the future (effective plant breeding adapted to the needs of all stakeholders); - ensuring the supply of protein for livestock and human consumption through local protein production and processing; - promoting research and innovation (plant proteins and nitrogen cycle) in the Horizon Europe programme.
“Such commitments will contribute significantly to building Europe’s strategic autonomy in an open economy, as set out in the European Council conclusions, the European Commission’s trade policy review and the objectives of the Green Deal”, concluded the Ministers from the two countries.
In September 2020, Julien Denormandie presented a declaration supported by 15 EU countries on the subject (see EUROPE 12564/13, 12562/6). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)