The Spanish meat industry is strengthening its presence in Brussels. With the launch of its new delegation to the European Union, ANAFRIC has begun a series of institutional meetings at the European Parliament and the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU. The aim is to convey the current situation of the sector to policymakers and defend the interests of the entire meat and livestock chain in the face of the regulatory challenges that will shape the future of the industry.
Within this framework, ANAFRIC has held meetings with representatives of various political groups in the European Parliament: MEP Diana Riba, from the Greens/EFA group; MEP Mari Carmen Crespo Díaz, from the European People’s Party; and MEP Mireia Borrás, from the Patriots for Europe group.
During these meetings, several key issues affecting the European meat sector were addressed. Among them were the serious negative repercussions that the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur could have on European production, especially in the beef sector.
The issue of Specific Risk Material (SRM) was also addressed, highlighting the need to update the current regulatory classification to adapt it to the current health and scientific reality, with the aim of avoiding unnecessary administrative burdens and high costs for companies in the sector.
Another topic analyzed was the proposed European legislation on animal welfare in transport, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that any future regulations take into account the production realities of the Spanish livestock sector and guarantee a balance between animal welfare and the economic viability of farms.
These issues were also discussed with the Agriculture and Livestock Department of the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union during an initial meeting to introduce the new ANAFRIC delegation in Brussels.
In the coming days, ANAFRIC will send more detailed information on the content of the conversations held and the lines of work that will be developed from these first institutional meetings.