AVEC, the Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade in the EU, concluded its 67th General Assembly last week hosted by the Danish Agriculture and Food Council in Copenhagen. Against the backdrop of renewed controversy over the EU-Mercosur deal, this year’s conference was themed Competitiveness in a Changing World.
One of the topics discussed was imports. Poultry imports from third countries such as Brazil, China and Ukraine continue to rise, often produced under conditions that would never be authorised in the EU – “25% of poultry breast meat consumed in the EU now comes from third countries,” said VEC’s President, Gert-Jan Oplaat.
AVEC, alongside a wide coalition of agri-food organisations, warned the Mercosur deal still fails to respect Europe’s sustainability model and threatens to expose EU producers to unfair competition. “Our standards, our sustainability efforts, and the trust of EU consumers must not be traded away,” Oplaat stressed. “The Council and the European Parliament should reject this proposal and defend European agriculture.”
At the conference AVEC announced that it will release a new Competitiveness Study in early 2026. Building on 2024 cost data, it will quantify the impact of EU legislation, assess competitiveness against non-EU producers, and model trade policy scenarios. “The new study aims to provide the evidence policymakers need to ensure Europe’s high standards remain an asset, not a handicap,” said AVEC’s Secretary General, Birthe Steenberg.
“We can and want to remain competitive,” Oplaat concluded, “but we need Europe to stand with us. Without reciprocity in trade and a level playing field at home, Europe risks outsourcing its own food security.”
“We deliver a high-quality protein with the lowest carbon footprint among meats, using every part of the bird in food, pharmaceuticals, pet nutrition, fertilisers and energy,” said AVEC’s President, Gert-Jan Oplaat. “That makes poultry indispensable to Europe’s food security.”