Representatives of the beef and milk sector are calling on agriculture minister Stefan Krajewski to rationally implement the EUDR Regulation.
They warn: the current version threatens with additional costs and weakening the competitiveness of Polish producers towards Mercosur countries.
Effective but non-bureaucratic implementation of EUDR
According to PAP MediaRoom, the Beef Sector Council, representing key organisations in the meat and milk sector, calls for solutions to be adopted in order to let for an effective but non-bureaucratic implementation of the EUDR regulation (2023/1115) on the elimination of deforestation-related products. According to the authors of the appeal, although the yearly postponement of the usage of EUDR has brought a temporary relief, the Regulation itself inactive contains solutions that make unnecessary costs and risks.
The proposal for a "state path" assumes utilizing these existing systems as a basis for implementing the Regulation
"It is time to correct structural errors that undermine European competitiveness, including Polish beef, which is crucial in competition with beef from Mercosur on the EU market," the letter states.
As they recall, Poland has been utilizing advanced systems for the recognition and registration of bovine animals (IRZ/IRZplus) for 25 years, which meet EUDR requirements for traceability of products. The proposal for a "state path" implies utilizing these existing systems as a basis for the implementation of the regulation – without the request for parallel bureaucracy.
Together with European partners, a draft amendment has been developed:
- considers Union bovine recognition systems equivalent to EUDR requirements,
- allows national data control without the request for duplication of obligations by operators,
- requires associate States to integrate livestock data into forested land registers, exempts participants in specified supply chain from the work to submit separate DDS declarations.
As noted in the appeal, the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture has already implemented most of the method work related to the integration of IRZ data into the forested area database. However, a political decision is needed.
‘ present there is no more technology, but a clear political mandate and a willingness to make this solution the authoritative position of Poland towards the EC" - stressed the letter.
In the opinion of the industry, Poland can choose: either costly and complex implementation, which will destruct any smaller farms from the market, or a rational model based on systems built by the state and the Union for years. The latter, in their opinion, not only meets the objectives of the EUDR, improving the effectiveness of forest protection, but besides protects the competitiveness of the Polish agricultural sector.
