[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The European Union (EU) has decided to lift the ban on animal feed for livestock that was introduced during the spread of mad cow disease fears in the 1990s.
On the 22nd (local time), the European Parliament's Environment Committee passed a proposal centered on this issue, according to The Guardian. This decision was made based on the judgment that if the EU alone maintains the ban while other regions have already relaxed their standards, it would inevitably weaken the competitiveness of farmers within the bloc.
The Guardian predicted, "Except for some opposition forces led by the Green Party, most members are expected to support the proposal in the European Parliament plenary vote." If passed, the regulations will be eased starting in August.
The EU banned the use of processed animal protein (PAP) derived from mammals in cattle and sheep feed following the mad cow disease outbreak in the UK in 1994. In 2001, the ban was expanded to include all livestock.
However, since the last case of mad cow disease in the EU was reported in 2016 and currently 24 out of the 27 member states are classified as "countries with a negligible risk of mad cow disease," calls for a review have increased.
In a notice sent to member states, the EU Commission explained that there is no risk in using PAP extracted from pigs or insects in poultry feed. However, feeding PAP to ruminants such as cattle or sheep, or using feed derived from the same animal species, remains prohibited.
The EU stated that this revision is necessary for EU farmers to compete on equal terms with farmers from other regions exporting to the bloc. The EU Commission said, "International standards only prohibit feeding ruminants to ruminants," and added, "This will resolve the discrimination issue arising between the EU, which bans animal protein for all livestock, and non-EU countries that apply the ban only among ruminants."
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