ANAFRIC, the Spanish Meat Association, wishes to express its full support for the position advocated by the European Livestock and Meat Trade Union (UECBV) regarding the need to simplify the implementation of the European Union on Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
ANAFRIC shares the European meat sector’s concerns about the proportionality and practical feasibility of the EUDR, as well as the significant administrative and economic impact it may have on responsible operators throughout the supply chain.
In this regard, José Friguls, president of ANAFRIC, stated: “We value the UECBV’s proposal, which advocates for recognizing the equivalence of the current bovine traceability systems implemented in the European Union. These systems, in place for more than 20 years, successfully guarantee the individual identification of each animal and the full traceability of derived products, strictly complying with European regulations on food safety and animal health.”
Duplicate controls
The implementation of the EUDR in its current form entails duplicating existing controls, generating an unnecessary burden for European producers, especially in the case of beef, where the current system already certifies the origin and journey of each animal from birth to the point of sale.
ANAFRIC joins the UECBV’s call for the European Commission to include the review and simplification of the EUDR in its legislative proposals, promoting a more targeted, risk-based approach fully adapted to the reality of the European meat sector.
“We reiterate our commitment to combating deforestation and global forest degradation, as well as to meeting the highest standards of sustainability and animal welfare. We firmly believe that it is possible to achieve the EUDR’s environmental objectives without compromising the viability of responsible operators or jeopardizing the competitiveness of the European livestock sector.”
