'Coherent policies' must follow EU Livestock Strategy - Eucolait
Eucolait has called for the new EU Livestock Strategy to be implemented in a way that strengthens competitiveness and trade.
The European Dairy Trade Association welcomed the strategy, unveiled by European Commission yesterday (Tuesday, July 7).
Eucolait desribed the strategy as a "positive foundation" to enhance the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the European dairy sector and its trading network.
It particularly welcomed the recognition of the livestock sector's economic importance and its contribution to food security and Europe's strategic autonomy.
Eucolait
Eucolait said the challenge now is to translate the core objectives in the strategy into coherent policies that strike the right balance between environmental ambition, economic viability and international competitiveness, without creating unnecessary trade barriers.
"A strong external trade agenda should form an integral part of the strategy's implementation.
"Strategic export diversification is essential to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the European dairy sector and should be supported through ambitious free trade agreements and targeted export promotion, including high-level agri-food missions.
"At the same time, the EU should intensify its efforts to remove the growing number of technical and sanitary barriers that limit access to international markets.
"To ensure the continuous competitiveness of the EU dairy sector, the EU should maintain the market orientation of agricultural policy and avoid unnecessary intervention in contractual relationships between market operators," the association said.
Dairy sector
Eucolait said that a "stable, predictable and proportionate regulatory framework is essential to encourage long-term investment throughout the dairy supply chain".
"Particular attention should be paid to measures imposing unnecessary operational costs such as mandatory origin labelling, pre-certification requirements, changes to the identification mark and disproportionate due diligence obligations.
"We further support the emphasis placed on innovation, access to technology, the development of risk management and the strengthening of disease prevention and response.
"EU food safety rules are among the most stringent in the world and also apply to imported products.
"Any additional requirements on imports, such as reciprocity clauses on production standards, should be evidence-based, proportionate and fully compatible with international trade rules," it said.
Eurolait said the objective of ensuring fair competition should "not result in measures that are disproportionate, inconsistent with World Trade Organisation (WTO) obligations or liable to undermine the EU's own export interests".
"A competitive, sustainable and resilient European dairy sector depends not only on thriving farms and efficient processors, but also on well-functioning trade," the association added.
