MAGAZINE - Copa-Cogeca

April 2012 │ 11
Falkenberg claims currently looking into
applying at international level same
high EU production and environmental
standards to imports and stepping up
controls
In an interview with Copa-Cogeca, EU Commission Director-
General for the Environment Karl Falkenberg said they
are stepping up import controls and work at international
level on how to apply the same high EU production and
environmental standards to imports of agricultural products
and food imported to the EU.
Copa-Cogeca argues that the EU is imposing higher and
higher environmental constraints and costly regulations onto
EU producers, which reduces their competitivity, and the same
rules are not applied to imports. For example, the EU has just
imposed a ban on un-enriched cages for laying hens on its own
producers, which has cost them over 5 billion euros, and not
on imports. Prices have risen as a result of this ban and producers
have had to de-populate in the short term to give time to adjust
to the new standards and costs or cease their production. And
now the industry is looking to boost imports, which do not
have to meet the same standards, in order to fill the gap.
Copa-Cogeca insists that the same standards which are
applied in the EU must apply to imports. Mr Falkenberg
acknowledged the problem, saying that this hasn’t been achieved
at international level yet within the WTO but they are working
on it. They nevertheless try and incorporate it into bilateral
trade agreements and have been looking at enhanced labelling
requirements for imports. They have also stepped up import
controls, he added.
Copa-Cogeca also warns against imposing further mandatory
environmental constraints onto EU farmers, which has been
proposed by the Commission under its CAP post-2013
proposals, and which again do not apply to imported products.
Copa-Cogeca arges that we are already far ahead in terms of
greening than other non-EU countries and now is not the time
to impose further costly constraints onto EU farmers. Copa-
Cogeca instead advocates the need for green growth measures
which benefit the environment at the same time as maintaining
productivity and competitivity. Copa-Cogeca argues that there
is no sense in taking land out of production, as proposed by the
Commission, in the wake of growing food demand and when
the environmental benefits of it are questionable. It is not the
right way forward. This has also been supported by many EU
Farm Ministers and MEPs. Defending the move, Mr Falkenberg
insisted that its an intelligent form of set-aside.
Mr Falkenberg went onto highlight the benefits of innovation
which Copa-Cogeca supports, believing it essential to boost
productivity using less resources. Copa-Cogeca welcomes the
EU Commission latest move to set up European Innovation
Partnerships.