On Monday 12 January, the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture called for better protection for Europe’s livestock sector, at a hearing on the future of the sector.
Andrea Rosati, Secretary General of the European Federation of Animal Science, outlined the challenges facing the livestock sector (regulations, international competition). He advocated trade diplomacy that protects “our farmers” and called for greater support for livestock farmers and research. He confirmed the decline in livestock numbers in certain sectors, due to greater efficiency on farms (particularly dairy farms), which is leading to the disappearance of small-scale livestock farmers.
Kinga Adamszwili, Deputy Secretary General of the European Dairy Association (EDA), called for clear political support for livestock farming. In response to questions from MEPs concerned about the effects of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, she described the agreement as “an opportunity” to find new export markets. She said she understood the concerns of players in the meat sector (beef and poultry), but pointed out that this agreement does not pose a problem for the dairy sector. She welcomed the provisions of the EU-Mercosur agreement that protect geographical indications (GIs) from imitation in the milk and dairy products sector. On the subject of meat names, she said: “We are proud of our milk production and it is essential that consumers know what they are buying. Consumers must not be fooled”.
Maria Grapini (S&D, Romanian) spoke of the importance of vaccines against epizootic diseases and compensation in the event of slaughter. Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR, Dutch) mentioned the constraints linked to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. Daniel Buda (EPP, Romanian) spoke of the crisis in the dairy sector in Italy and Romania. Éric Sargiacomo (S&D, French) highlighted the negative effects of the rise in imports, particularly from Mercosur countries. Carmen Crespo (EPP, Spanish) spoke of the problems of lumpy skin disease and stressed the importance of coherent research and appropriate support for breeders meeting the same standards. Benoît Cassart (Renew Europe, Belgian) deplored the fact that young people no longer believe in livestock farming, and called for a coherent long-term policy. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)