Proposal to delay EU's beef with cattle a win for local industry
Local MPs Michelle Landry and Colin Boyce, and Senator Matt Canavan have joined with local grazier John Baker in commending the European Commission’s proposal to delay the European Union’s Deforestation Regulations by twelve months, following both a bipartisan Senate motion from Senator Matt Canavan and calls from local farmers and businesses.
Currently set to take effect from 30 December 2024, the EU Deforestation Regulations would ban the import of commodities such as beef that are linked to deforestation. Under the regulations, any cattle grazier who did not comply with the land use regulations in Europe would not be able to export to the region.
The proposal to delay the EU Deforestation Regulations is welcome news to the CQ beef industry, which would suffer major job losses under the regulations, from farmers on the paddock to meat processors in local meatworks.
Senator Matt Canavan welcomed the proposal while highlighting the imperialistic nature of the regulations.
“This proposal is fantastic news for the local beef industry, from all meatworkers, right through to cattle graziers like John around the region,” Senator Canavan said.
“The message we have sent to the EU has been strong. Last month the Senate motion I sponsored, which called on the EU to make this decision, was passed with bipartisan support.
“These regulations from the European Union aimed to decide what parts of Australia are “forest” and which are not. Yet somehow their defined Australian forestland is 8 per cent higher than our own definition, and 44 per cent of it is actually current grazing land.
“This proposal to delay the regulations shows that the EU is hearing the concerns raised by the local industry loud and clear.”
Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry commended the efforts to oppose the regulations, highlighting the vital contribution of the beef industry to the local region.
“The beef industry in Central Queensland is the lifeblood of our region,” Ms Landry said.
“Under Labor, the industry has been neglected, from their reckless renewables only policy, to the lack of critical road funding. These EU regulations are yet another hurdle for our already struggling working families.
"I'm very pleased that both parties are fighting to delay this foreign regulation that will damage an already neglected industry."
Federal Member for Flynn, Colin Boyce welcomed the proposal to delay the regulations but called on the EU to drop the deforestation regulations altogether.
“Graziers are the best environmentalists in the world and the proposed regulations will have an enormous negative effect on the beef industry,” Mr Boyce said.
“These regulations are nothing more than another trade sanction on Australian produce.”
Local cattle grazier John Baker, the AgForce Central Queensland President, is glad to see the proposal to delay the regulations, and is concerned of the consequences if they were to be passed.
“Our local CQ beef industry sits firmly in the crosshairs of these regulations,” Mr Baker said.
“While the news of the proposal to delay these regulations is welcome, it’s deeply concerning they were put forward in the first place.
“Graziers like myself would be penalised and barred from providing high quality product to the EU because they wrongly assumed we were farming on deforested land.
“Our challenge now is to convince the EU that our landscape is totally different to Europe where we have issues with invasive weeds, thickening vegetation and trees that are spreading onto traditionally open country, that have to be managed to preserve the environment.”
Following the decision, the European Commission is now inviting both the European Parliament and Council to adopt the proposal by the end of the year.
