Recommendations from the EU Pigmeat Reflection Group

The Pigmeat Reflection Group was set up in 2022 to discuss the challenges facing the EU’s pigmeat sector. The sector had been experiencing difficulties for a number of months due to factors including COVID-19 restrictions, reduced exports to China, African swine fever, and rising input costs. The group brought together representatives from EU member states, Commission officials (from the directorates for agriculture, health, competition, and the environment), key stakeholders from farming associations and NGOs, and scientific experts.

Seven meetings took place in total, leading to the preparation of a report that was published in January 2023. The report provides an overview of the situation in the pigmeat market and puts forward recommendations regarding the socio-economic dynamics of the sector, environmental and climate challenges, animal health, and animal welfare to improve the resilience of the sector.

Recommendations from the Pigmeat Reflection Group included:

• Promoting cooperation among producers and between them and the other steps of the supply chain for better integration of societal expectations on improved sustainability, better training, and sharing of knowledge.

• Diversifying EU export markets and reducing dependency on a few destinations, in particular unreliable partners.

• Developing manure processing and more efficient use of organic fertilizers.

• Supporting local bio-gas solutions based on slurry, residues, and waste that involve not only pig farming but local communities.

• Supporting the development of vaccines for wild boar and domestic pigs.

• More engagement with third countries, including in international bodies such as the WTO and WOAH, to ensure recognition of the EU regionalisation principle.

• Supporting action, including research, to develop and implement systems with a high level of animal welfare, respecting the behavioural needs of pigs and reducing antibiotics use.

Report with recommendations from the European Pigmeat Reflection Group