During a plenary debate on Thursday 9 July, several MEPs, including Daniel Buda (EPP, Romanian) and Maria Walsh (EPP, Irish), stressed that wool represents an economic opportunity for farmers and rural areas, but that its potential is still being held back by the lack of markets, processing capacity and excessive bureaucracy (see EUROPE 13819/15).
Speaking on behalf of the European Commission, Commissioner Dubravka Šuica explained that European rules on animal by-products lay down health rules based on the level of risk. Wool is classified in the category presenting the lowest, though not zero, risk, which already allows several uses.
According to her, if some farmers dispose of their wool, this is not an obligation imposed by European rules, but a consequence of the economic difficulties facing the textile sector.
The Commission nevertheless wants to open up new opportunities for the utilisation of animal by-products, identifying and removing any potential regulatory obstacles, and developing alternative uses for wool, notably for the production of fertilisers or other wool-based products, where health conditions are met. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)