🐑 🐑 COPA COGECA have today published a new position paper on the valorisation of wool, a natural material with numerous valuable qualities. Although wool is renewable and biodegradable, 🇪🇺 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 🇪🇺 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. By removing unnecessary legal barriers, the EU can turn a growing problem into an opportunity for sustainable agriculture. 📰 Read our position paper on our website>>>>copa-cogeca.eu/publications