Online Event: The EU Promotion Policy: An essential tool to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of the European livestock sector
Thursday 17 June at 14:00 – 16:00 CEST
Online event chaired by:
MEP Elsi Katainen (Renew Europe)
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EU agriculture is evolving in a globalised environment in which EU farmers and processors have to face growing competition from third countries with lower environmental, safety and social standards, which allow them to produce at lower costs. At the same time, EU primary producers have to adapt to changing climate conditions and are determined to answer the growing consumer demand for further animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
In this complex and demanding environment, EU primary producers and blocked between growing foreign competition requiring to reduce production costs on the one hand, and on the other hand by further social and environmental requirements raising their production costs. In this context, the EU Promotion Policy established by Regulation (EC) 1144/2014 has been a precious support which has help EU farmers and processors to stay competitive by opening new markets and promoting the unique qualities of EU products over their competitors. This has considerably helped EU agricultural products to keep their high social and environmental standards while remaining competitive.
In the context of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is now conducting a revision of the EU Promotion Policy to improve its efficiency and increase its contribution to sustainability. EU farmers processors believe that this is a great opportunity as they see the demand for further sustainability as a way to differentiate on the market and consider the EU Promotion Policy as essential to promote the sustainability of EU products and their other qualities. Nonetheless, EU livestock producers, who have been increasingly investing in sustainability and animal welfare over the past years, are deeply concerned by the possibility of a reduction or even an exclusion from the Policy support. This possibility was notably mentioned in the context of the discussions on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the consumption of products in relation to cancer. Excluding livestock from the Promotion Policy would not only hinder the competitiveness of this sector, but it would also encourage the consumption of livestock product from third countries with lower safety, environmental and animal welfare standards, thus leading to a sustainability leakage. Considering that this possible exclusion is also fuelled by allegations regarding the healthiness of products from animal origin, it is also important to go back to science and assess their place in a balanced diet.
This event will therefore focus on showcasing the effects of the Promotion Policy on the EU livestock sector’s competitiveness and sustainability and discuss how the new Promotion Policy could actively contribute to improve even further the sustainability of this sector; it will also look into the place of livestock products in a balanced diet.
FINAL AGENDA
14:00 – 14:10 Welcome remarks by MEP Elsi Katainen
14:10 – 14:25 Keynote address by Nathalie Sauze-Vandevyver, Director for Quality, Research & Innovation and Outreach, DG AGRI, European Commission
14:25 – 14:40 Interventions by:
Erik Kam, Head of Unit on Pigmeat, Danish Agriculture Council
Declan Coppinger, Finance Manager, BoardBia
14:40 – 14:55 Professor Alice Stanton, Professor of Cardiovascular Pharmacology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and Director of Human Health at Devenish Nutrition
14:55 – 15:10 Jean-François Hocquette, Research Director, INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment)
15:10 – 15:30 Interventions by:
Michele Spangaro, Head of Office, ASSICA
Birthe Steenberg, Secretary General, AVEC
Paolo Patruno, Deputy Secretary General, CLITRAVI
15:30 – 15:50 Q&A discussion with the audience
15:50 – 16:00 Closing remarks by MEP Elsi Katainen
Venue
Webex