EU Commission updates: New animal welfare commissioner, agri-food sector defends economic value

18 Sep 2024 --- The European Commission has announced several key changes impacting the food and beverage industry, including strengthening its agenda on animal welfare, economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability.

Notably, the Commission has included a commissioner dedicated to improving animal welfare standards in the College of Commissioners.

Hungary’s Olivér Várhelyi is nominated to take on the role of the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, a move welcomed by animal welfare advocates. Responsibility for animal protection remains under the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, with an integrated approach that acknowledges the link between animal rights, public health and the environment.

Meanwhile, former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi released a detailed report on Europe’s future competitiveness in crucial sectors, which has garnered some criticism for overlooking the agri-food sector.

Improved animal protection

The Commission notes that the move to appoint a dedicated animal welfare commissioner aligns with the demand of 310,000 citizens and 200 MEPs in the 2019-2024 term. Over 100 MEPs, led by Eurogroup for Animals’ member GAIA, have campaigned for more robust animal protection mechanisms in the new term.

The new commissioner is responsible for ensuring the promised amendment of the EU’s outdated animal welfare legislation. Várhelyi’s appointment is subject to his approval in the next hearing.

“It is great to see that finally, the new Commission is listening to the demands of citizens, who have continuously asked for better EU laws to protect animal welfare. The inclusion of Animal Welfare in the title will ensure that this topic remains a priority in all relevant discussions. We expect the revision of the animal welfare legislation to be the first file to be dealt with,” says Reineke Hameleers, CEO of Eurogroup for Animals.

The appointee will collaborate with other commissioners, including Christophe Hansen, the nominee for Agriculture and Food. Hansen is expected to “bring to life the report and recommendations of Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture.” The report explicitly calls for revising the animal welfare legislation by 2026 and transitioning toward cage-free systems.

The animal welfare department will also work with the commissioners responsible for Fisheries, Trade and Environment to ensure that the EU has ambitious legislation implementing high animal welfare standards in all relevant areas.

Food security priorities

In other news, Draghi’s report from last week assessed the future of Europe’s competitiveness in core areas such as energy-intensive industries (EIIs), pharma and clean technology. The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, requested the report.

While F&B stakeholders have welcomed the report, some highlight the lack of concrete suggestions for developing the agri-food sector.Draghi said that the EU needed to prioritize three critical issues: closing differences in innovation between the US and China, developing a combined plan to align the goal of decarbonization with increased competitiveness, improving Europe’s security and reducing dependence on economic powers outside the region.

The food sector is featured mainly within the section on EIIs, which the report considers “a vital part of the European economy and plays a critical role in reducing the EU’s strategic dependencies.”

Draghi says that food security could suffer if the EU does not maintain a strong footing in EIIs, which are important to maintaining the flow of fertilizers and pesticides and keeping on track with the clean energy transition in the current geopolitical landscape.

Agri-food undervalued?

While F&B stakeholders have welcomed the report, some highlight the lack of concrete suggestions for developing the agri-food sector and transitioning to sustainable food systems.

Euroseeds, an association of over 30 national member committees and seed businesses, says Draghi’s report does not fully recognize the role of the agri-food sector in Europe’s economic prosperity.

“Given the economic importance of the EU’s agri-food sector, the number of jobs depending on it, the fact that it is the one sector truly present across the entire Union and is an area where the EU enjoys widest policy competence, a more elaborate part in the Draghi report would have been justified,” says Garlich von Essen, secretary general and CEO of Euroseeds.

“It now remains to be seen how these rather general recommendations will truly impact and mark a change in the concrete policy choices ahead of us.”

Many MEPs agreed with Draghi’s thesis that the EU economy should urgently change course to sharpen focus on competition and innovation in significant industries, along with increased public and private funding in social, green and digital transitions.

On the other hand, some members demanded greater sovereignty and freer markets while emphasizing that fighting climate change has massive economic pressure on the EU.

By Anvisha Manral