Copa and Cogeca have today published a new position paper on the valorisation of wool, a natural material with numerous valuable qualities. The organisations highlight that wool is increasingly treated as a burden, despite clear opportunities for its use. 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. Under EU legislation, notably Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 on animal by-products, raw wool from healthy animals is classified in a way that imposes disproportionate constraints on its handling, marketing, and use.
As a result, the European wool value chain has weakened considerably. Prices have collapsed, often failing to cover even basic shearing costs. 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.
Copa and Cogeca’s recommendations aim to unlock wool’s untapped potential by encouraging its marketing and valorisation, revising its legal classification, promoting on-farm uses, and supporting innovation. These measures would transform wool from a liability into a valuable co-product, contributing to circularity, soil health, and farm sustainability.
By removing unnecessary legal barriers, the EU can turn a growing problem into an opportunity for sustainable agriculture. Copa-Cogeca therefore calls for concrete action within the framework of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the future EU Livestock Strategy.
Fonte: Copa and Cogeca
