We are glad to report an extract of an article by Stella Meehan on agriland.ie.

Support for wool in the EU

The paper calls on EU policymakers to remove regulatory barriers that currently prevent wool from being fully exploited as a sustainable, circular, and renewable agricultural resource.

Although wool is renewable and biodegradable, EU farmers and cooperatives face significant legal and administrative obstacles, according to Copa and Cogeca.

Under EU legislation, raw wool from healthy animals is classified in a way that imposes disproportionate constraints on its handling, marketing, and use, Copa Cogeca added.

As a result, the European wool value chain has weakened considerably where prices have collapsed, often failing to cover even basic shearing costs.

The group said that limited EU processing capacity and the closure of key export markets have exacerbated the situation, leading to stockpiling on farms and widespread disposal of wool as waste.

“This is economically unsustainable and environmentally inconsistent, especially in light of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and Circular Economy objectives,” the paper states.