EU told regulations hurting farmers

Monday, February 28, 2011

Ever stiffer regulations and a strengthening currency are costly to agriculture in the European Union (EU), the Brussels-based farm union Copa-Coegeca warns and will result in imports taking the place of domestically raised meat on store shelves.

European meat exports are expected to decline 23 per cent by 2020, and imports are expected to rise by 15 per cent, but imported meats aren't produced to as high a standard, warns Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen. In particular, Pesonen points to imports from the Latin America trade bloc Mercosur, where producers use growth promotants banned in the EU and only a poor animal traceability system exists.

Pesonen was analyzing an EU report on the medium-term prospects for the meat industry in Europe. Mercosur is a trade bloc comprised of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru have associate member status. BF