Mayo MEP wants to end designation of wool as a waste product
MEP Maria Walsh has successfully added a debate on the importance of wool to the European Parliament’s plenary agenda in Strasbourg next week.
The move comes as part of MEP Walsh’s campaign to end the designation of wool as a waste product, allowing farmers to better exploit its various uses, giving them an additional source of income and reducing supply costs.
The Midlands North-West MEP has previously written to the European Commission seeking a reclassification of wool at a time when farmers face high input costs and environmental obligations.
MEP Maria Walsh said: “Wool is not waste; it is low-risk, biodegradable and an excellent source of fertiliser and insulation for use across the agriculture and construction sectors. Despite this, EU rules fail to recognise the true value of wool and therefore limit its use. Wool is currently classified as a waste product, falling into the same category as carcasses, blood and other animal by-products despite posing significantly lower risks.
“The outdated classification means farmers are often forced to bear high costs of storing, cleaning or disposing of wool – rather than being able to use it productively on their own farms. This simply doesn’t make sense.
“The addition of a debate on wool to the plenary agenda in Strasbourg next week is firm recognition of the importance of this issue to the agricultural sector. It allows us to bring the unfair classification to the attention of the entirety of the Parliament, and to increase pressure on the Commission to finally change these outdated rules.
“I would like to thank my EPP colleagues, Vice-Chair of the Agriculture Committee MEP Daniel Buda and EPP Coordinator for the Agriculture Committee MEP Herbert Dorfmann, for their support in tabling this debate request. Working with other countries highlights that wool is an important resource right across the EU, from Ireland to Romania.”
The MEP will keep pressure on the European Commission to reclassify wool.
“The addition of this debate is the next step in my campaign to reclassify wool. “Earlier this year, I wrote to the European Commission requesting a common-sense approach. The Commission must review the Animal By-Products Regulation and introduce a lower-risk category for wool, recognising it for what it is: a valuable agricultural resource and not a liability. Following my request, we saw some progress emerge from the Commission when they committed to reviewing the Regulation in their Fertiliser Action Plan published in May.
“I will use next week’s debate on wool as an opportunity to keep the pressure on the Commission and ensure they uphold their commitment, so ultimately Irish farmers can easily and freely use wool on their farms in a way that benefits their business and land.”