FEFAC RELEASED ITS KEY RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE EU LIVESTOCK STRATEGY & EU PROTEIN PLAN 2026

On the 20th of May, during the 31st FEFAC Congress in Bucharest, FEFAC released its recommendations for the upcoming EU Livestock Strategy and the EU Protein Plan 2026, which are expected to be published by the European Commission at the beginning of July.

The recommendations are structured around four complementary priorities:

  • strengthening food security and competitiveness.
  • accelerating feed efficiency and innovation.
  • supporting investment and modernisation across the livestock value chain.
  • reducing strategic dependencies in protein and feed additive supplies.

They are presented at a critical juncture, as EU livestock and feed markets struggle to adjust to rising geopolitical tensions, exacerbated by the Middle East Crisis.

On food security and trade, FEFAC calls on EU policymakers to harmonise legislation enforcement across Member States, ensure evidence-based impact assessments linked to the EUDR simplification package, which is not considered “fit for purpose” as it may trigger a high risk of disruption on essential soy supplies to the EU. FEFAC recalls that 33 million tonnes of soy are imported. FEFAC also recommends addressing the feed supply chain security as part of the EU’s Stockpiling Strategy and Food Security Contingency Plan. On innovation, FEFAC urges the modernisation of EU feed additives legislation and the launch of an EU Circular Feed Roadmap, removing unnecessary regulatory burden to unlock the full potential of circular feed resources, thereby helping reduce GHG emissions and LUC competition linked to feed production.

Regarding strategic protein dependency, FEFAC highlights that the EU still imports approximately 70% of its total high-protein plant-based protein needs, and calls for the adoption of a comprehensive EU Protein Plan from 2026 with clear objectives, milestones and benchmarks, as well as targeted financial incentives to boost home-grown production of vegetable proteins. FEFAC also flagged the EU’s over-reliance on China for certain essential feed additives, including amino acids and vitamins (e.g., Vitamin B complex), as a vulnerability requiring a targeted long-term action plan. “Reliable access to high-quality, innovative, and affordable feed products is essential to both the economic resilience and sustainability performance of EU aquaculture and livestock production”. FEFAC urges the Commission to consider EU feed supply chains as a strategic pillar of European food security.

Download the full brochure with all the recommendations via this link.

Notes to the editor:

  1. FEFAC, the European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation, represents 27 national associations in the 26 European countries.
  2. The European compound feed industry employs over 100,000 people on approximately 3,200 production sites, often in rural areas, which offer few employment opportunities.
  3. Farm animals in the EU27 consume an estimated 644 million tonnes of feed per year, of which about 24% (153 million tonnes) is produced by compound feed manufacturers. The turnover of the European compound feed industry is estimated at €63 billion.
  4. For more information, see our website (www.fefac.eu), or please contact Alexander Döring, Secretary General, Tel. +32-2-285.00.50, Fax +32-2-230.57.22, e-mail: fefac@fefac.eu.