Transatlantic trade deal could have 'severe impact' on EU beef

By Oscar Rousseau

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Eu beef market International trade Europe Beef

Jean-Pierre Fleury: US beef imports not required to meet EU's traceability standards
Jean-Pierre Fleury: US beef imports not required to meet EU's traceability standards
EU farming body Copa-Cogeca has called on the EC to exercise caution in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal, after a study revealed European beef producers could see incomes fall.

The US is able to produce certain beef cuts, such as loin, at a cheaper price than some European counterparts and this could hurt the EU beef market, according to the French Livestock Institute study.

This study follows the shock leak of secret negotiating texts on the TTIP trade deal​, which revealed the US was seeking to give big corporations the power to change EU laws.

And with beef prices falling across mainland Europe, coupled with Russia’s import ban, Jean-Pierre Fleury, the president of the Federation National Bovine (FNB), has called for caution on the TTIP deal in a meeting with beef officials held by Copa-Cogeca.

EU’s ‘high standards’

Fleury said the beef industry needed to put pressure on the EC to be “extremely prudent​” in its TTIP negotiations with the US. This is necessary, he said, as the study by the French Livestock Institute concluded beef should get sensitive product status in the TTIP deal.

He added that US beef producers remain more competitive on high value loin cuts due to a lack of a mandatory traceability system and environmental practices. “The EU has very high standards in this respect, which imports to the EU do not have to meet,​” said Jean-Pierre Fleury.

Beef production up

Loin cuts nevertheless represent the main source of income for our beef producers. Without a cautious approach in TTIP, this type of production could be badly hit, with a negative impact on the economies of rural regions.​”

The prudent approach to negotiating beef tariff rates comes as EU production increased by 3.6% in 2015. The rise was due to the continued pressure on the dairy sector, which made many producers switch from dairy to beef, resulting in a glut of extra beef on the market.

And in light of the challenging market, Fleury said it was “crucial​” for Europe’s beleaguered beef producers to find alternative export markets and urged the EU to “step up action​” to secure export credit guarantees.

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