EU countries agree to exclude extensive livestock from industrial emission standards and toughen those for pigs and poultry

The EU countries have agreed on their position to negotiate the revision of the Directive on Industrial Emissions, which will reinforce environmental requirements in pig and poultry farms and, for the first time, also for cattle, but which leaves extensive livestock out of the scope of application . The position agreed by the Twenty-seven, who will have to negotiate the final text with the European Parliament during the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of the year, also toughens the requirements for pig and poultry farms with respect to current regulations. This is a legislative adjustment to achieve the climate commitments of the EU, which was based on a proposal from the European Commission that sought to cover all farms with more than 150 animals -including those of cattle from extensive livestock- to reduce emissions of methane or ammonia, among others. But the countries have agreed that this number be raised to 350 heads for cattle and pigs, to ...