What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on how to secure a sustainable future for the EU livestock sector in light of the need to ensure food security, farmers’ resilience and the challenges posed by animal diseases?

(2025/2053(INI))

The European Parliament,

Changed:– having regard to Articles 38 and 39 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)(TFEU), establishingwhich establish the common agricultural policy (CAP) and its objectives,

13 unchanged paragraphs

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products, (EU) No 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, (EU) No 251/2014 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatised wine products and (EU) No 228/2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in the outermost regions of the Union,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1468 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/2115 and (EU) 2021/2116 as regards good agricultural and environmental condition standards, schemes for climate, environment and animal welfare, amendment of the CAP Strategic Plans, review of the CAP Strategic Plans and exemptions from controls and penalties,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/3012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 establishing a Union certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 19 February 2025 entitled ‘A Vision for Agriculture and Food – Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations’ (COM(2025)0075),

– having regard to the final report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture entitled ‘A shared prospect for farming and food in Europe’, published on 4 September 2024,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’),

– having regard to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 of 7 December 2020 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to Union notification and Union reporting of listed diseases, to formats and procedures for submission and reporting of Union surveillance programmes and of eradication programmes and for application for recognition of disease-free status, and to the computerised information system,

– having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for surveillance, eradication programmes, and disease-free status for certain listed and emerging diseases,

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 (Animal by-products Regulation),

– having regard to Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents, amending Council Decision 90/424/EEC and repealing Council Directive 92/117/EEC,

– having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and the Council, as regards rules for the prevention and control of certain listed diseases,

Changed:– having regard to Council Directive 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998 concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes, Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 of 22 December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1255/97, and Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 of 24 September 2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on veterinary medicinal products and repealing Directive 2001/82/EC,

Changed:– having regard to the Council Recommendationrecommendation of 13 June 2023 on stepping up EU actions to combat antimicrobial resistance in a One Health approach (2023/C 220/01),

– having regard to Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1729 of 17 November 2020 on the monitoring and reporting of antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and commensal bacteria and repealing Implementing Decision 2013/652/EU,

Changed:– having regard to the Commission notice entitled ‘Guidelines for the prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine’,medicine’ (2015/C 299/04), published on 11 September 2015,

9 unchanged paragraphs

– having regard to the recommendations of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, following the Ministerial Conference on animal diseases held on 24 January 2024, which state that biosecurity and vaccination should become the pillars of alternative strategies to mass slaughter in the management of infectious epidemics on farms,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 15 November 2011 entitled ‘Action plan against the rising threats from Antimicrobial Resistance’ (COM(2011)0748),

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 of 22 December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1255/97,

– having regard to its resolution of 19 October 2023 on generational renewal in the EU farms of the future,

– having regard to its resolution of 14 June 2023 on ensuring food security and long-term resilience of the EU agriculture,

– having regard to its resolution of 13 December 2022 on a long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas – Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040,

– having regard to its resolution of 24 November 2022 on the protection of livestock farming and large carnivores in Europe,

– having regard to its resolution of 16 February 2022 on the implementation report on on-farm animal welfare,

– having regard to its recommendation of 20 January 2022 to the Council and the Commission following the investigation of alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to the protection of animals during transport within and outside the Union,

Changed:– having regard to the final report of its Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport within and outside the Union of 14 December 2021 on the investigation of alleged contraventions and maladministration in the Committeeapplication of InquiryUnion onlaw in relation to the Protectionprotection of Animalsanimals during Transporttransport within and outside the Union,

– having regard to its resolution of 10 February 2021 on the New Circular Economy Action Plan,

Added:– having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2023 entitled ‘European protein strategy’,

– having regard to the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), as established in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code,

Changed:– having regard to the 2023 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report entitled ‘Contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes – An evidence and policy overview on the state of knowledge and gaps’, published in 2023,

Added:– having regard to WOAH Resolution No 29 entitled ‘Veterinary Vaccines and Vaccination: from science to action – reflections for change’, adopted in May 2025,

– having regard to the information report of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) entitled ‘Benefits of extensive livestock farming and organic fertilizers in the context of the European Green Deal’, adopted on 8 December 2021,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed:– having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A10-0000/2025),(A10-0088/2026),

Change 1

Changed:A. whereas the livestock sector has long been an essential pillar of EU agriculture, especially in rural areas, and contributes substantiallysignificantly and uniquely to a substantial share of the EU’s economy,economy; aswhereas the value of livestock production and products equalledamounted to EUR 214.3 billion in 2023, representing 40 % of the EU’s total agricultural output that year, and whereas the profitability and sustainability of EUplant agricultureproduction thatis year;dependent on resilient animal production;

Change 2

Removed:B. whereas livestock farming is of crucial importance for many European regions, and 58 % of European farms keep animals; whereas European livestock farms employ around 4 million people (salaried and non-salaried);

Added:B. whereas the animal agriculture value chain is long and complex, involving many actors – from the breeding, feed and animal health sectors to farmers and the processing industry linked to animal production (milk and meat processing, animal feed and animal by-products) – and is of key importance in the EU in terms of innovation, turnover and employment;

Removed:C. whereas livestock systems, notably grassland-based systems, provide climate and environmental benefits by sequestering carbon, regulating water flows and improving water quality, protecting biodiversity, and maintaining diversified and open landscapes, particularly in mountain areas;

Added:C. whereas fair prices for animal products and regional value chains can safeguard farmers’ incomes; whereas the animal production agricultural value chain involves a wide range of actors, from pre-harvest sectors such as breeding, feed and animal health to farmers and the post-harvest food processing industry, and is a key value chain in the EU in terms of turnover and employment, given the presence of constant human involvement in the production process, contributing significantly to the EU’s food security and sovereignty and protein autonomy;

Removed:D. whereas the EU is the world’s second-largest producer of meat, behind China but ahead of the United States;

Added:D. whereas local slaughterhouse structures can make a significant contribution to regional added value, shorten supply chains and reduce emissions stemming from the transport of meat products, as regional slaughterhouses can better meet the specific market requirements of individual regions and promote demand-driven production;

Added:E. whereas livestock farming is of crucial importance for many European regions, most of which are at risk of depopulation; whereas 58 % of European farms keep animals; whereas mixed and specialised livestock farms account for 40.9 % of European farms, and European livestock farms employ around four million people (salaried and non-salaried); whereas over the past 20 years, the EU lost 37 % of its farmers, and farmers’ income decreased by 12 % per hectare;

Added:F. whereas in many regions of the EU, such as mountainous, inland and rural areas and several outermost regions, livestock production is the only viable economic activity and plays a fundamental role in retaining populations, maintaining biodiversity, preserving traditional landscapes and driving other local economic activities; whereas the financial allocations for the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) must be adjusted to take account of devaluation caused by inflation in order to fulfil its role of supporting farmers and livestock breeders in the outermost regions;

Added:G. whereas the entire livestock sector provides climate and environmental benefits by sequestering carbon, regulating water flows and improving water quality, protecting biodiversity, preventing forest fires, retaining populations in rural areas and maintaining diversified and open landscapes, particularly in disadvantaged and mountainous areas;

Added:H. whereas monogastric species, such as swine and poultry, produce lower greenhouse gas emissions because of their efficient feed conversion rates, and can further contribute to circularity through the use of waste stream products in their feed, while their manure serves as a natural fertiliser for crop production; whereas the climate efficiency of several European livestock production models, in terms of genetics, technology, innovation and knowledge, is of crucial importance for worldwide production and the sustainability thereof;

Added:I. whereas the EU is the world’s second-largest producer of meat, behind China but ahead of the United States, and EU livestock systems contribute significantly to the EU economy, trade and related jobs and uphold world-leading standards in animal welfare, efficiency and sustainability;

Added:J. whereas pig meat and poultry meat account for a significant share of the meat produced in the EU, which plays a key role in ensuring food security, offering affordable products to European consumers and sustaining the livelihoods of many farmers; whereas enhancing the sustainability of conventional systems will enable major improvements in sustainability, which will benefit a broad consumer base, including consumers with lower incomes, ensuring that animal protein remains affordable and accessible to all EU citizens;

K. whereas in 2023, the EU had 133 million pigs, 74 million bovine animals, 58 million sheep, 11 million goats and an estimated 1.63 billion poultry birds;

Change 3

Changed:F.L. whereas the EU produced 40.7 million tonnes of meat in 2023, comprised of porkpig meat (50 %), poultry meat (32 %), beef meat (15 %) and sheep and goat meat (1 %);

M. whereas the EU is the world’s largest producer of cow’s milk, accounting for over 20 % of global milk supply, and holds a leading position in international dairy trade, representing more than 30 % of global dairy exports;

N. whereas EU net exports of animal products have risen more than threefold since 2000 and reached EUR 37.8 billion in 2024 (excluding intra-community trade) in a context where global demand for meat, dairy products and eggs is expected to increase by 25 to 50 % by 2050, according to the latest FAO scenarios;

Change 4

Removed:I. whereas the processing industry linked to animal production (milk and meat processing, animal feed, animal by-products) is a key manufacturing sector in the EU in terms of turnover and employment;

Added:O. whereas in 2023, the EU imported nearly 900 000 tonnes of poultry meat, more than 340 000 tonnes of beef meat and around 150 000 tonnes of sheep meat;