June 5, 2017

FEFAC: Future CAP to focus on sustainable EU livestock and feed sector

FEFAC will discuss the competitiveness of EU animal production with European Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development, Phil Hogan, at its XXVIII Congress in Cordoba on June 8.

The attendance of Hogan is the first visit of an EU Farm Commissioner to a FEFAC Congress in 30 years. FEFAC president-elect, Pekka Pesonen (secretary general of COPA and COGECA), Michel Nalet (EDA president) and Fernando Antunez (CESFAC president) will form an expert panel, discussing key policy and sector options to reconcile the CAP post 2020 agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals with the increasing need for resilience and competitiveness of the EU feed and livestock sector.

"The EU should aim for consistency across the different legal frameworks that govern agricultural, climate change and circular economy policies. This could trigger a virtuous cycle that favours a progressive, incentive-based investment climate for innovation in EU feed production and livestock farming," Ruud Tijssens, FEFAC president, said.

FEFAC has stressed the importance of enhancing the competitiveness of the EU livestock and feed sector in its contribution to the public consultation on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) "post-2020" review ((17) PR 9).

FEFAC members highlight the safeguarding of a stable and predictable legal framework that guarantees undisrupted access to feed materials on EU and global markets as primary concerns for EU feed manufacturers. They also point to the need for CAP to take a truly "common" EU Policy framework character once more.

Last year's dairy and pork market crises also illustrated the need for new effective tools that allow livestock farmers to manage their financial risks in volatile markets.

The recent Commission publication of the first EU protein balance sheet and the setting up of the Market Observatory on cereals, oilseeds and protein crops will provide additional focus for FEFAC members to share their market expertise in the CAP post 2020 debate.

- FEFAC