Animal welfare groups scrutinise EU free trade deals

Published Feb 19, 2021

Tridge summary

The Eurogroup for Animals and DG AGRI have called for the European Union to only condition market liberalisation on products that meet high animal welfare standards, following a study that found unconditional market access in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) leads to increased trade in animal products and intensive farming. The study found that when FTAs are in place, EU pork and dairy exports grow, while the EU market is fuelled by imported poultry meat, beef, and sheep, potentially exposing EU consumers to lower welfare imported products and putting pressure on EU producers. The highest increases in imports are expected to come from Mercosur countries, raising public health concerns and impacting wild animals through deforestation.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

They argue that the EU should also condition market liberalisation only to products that comply with high animal welfare standards. This would, they say, not only restore the level playing field, but also incentivise producers based on trading partner countries to adopt higher animal welfare standards and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Eurogroup for Animals said the study “Cumulative economic impacts of trade agreements on EU Agriculture,” had confirmed that unconditional market access granted in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) significantly increases trade in animal products, fuelling intensive farming both in the EU and abroad. The DG AGRI study looked at evaluating the impact of 12 FTAs either currently being negotiated or concluded by the EU on the agricultural sector towards 2030. It found that when FTAs were in place, EU pork and dairy exports grew, while the EU market was often fuelled by imported poultry meat, beef, and sheep. On ...

Source: Poultryworld