Ahead of the European Commission's forthcoming Livestock Strategy, Piotr Całbecki, Chair of the European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Natural Resources (NAT), called for a practical and balanced approach that supports farmers, strengthens rural areas and maintains high environmental standards. Hosting a meeting with the European Parliament's Intergroup on Sustainable Livestock Farming at the European Committee of the Regions, Całbecki underlined that Europe's livestock sector must become more competitive and sustainable by reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, simplifying environmental procedures and enabling investment in modern and innovative farming practices.
"Europe's agricultural sector can and should be modernised and made more sustainable by simplifying environmental rules while preserving high standards," said Piotr Całbecki. "Reducing red tape in green regulations — from permits and impact assessments to CAP environmental schemes and inspections — can unlock farm investments without undermining nature and climate objectives."
Całbecki highlighted the key role of local and regional authorities, which implement more than 70% of EU legislation on the ground. He pointed to three areas where they can make a real difference for farmers: streamlining permits through regional one-stop shops, simplifying environmental impact assessments for low-impact farm investments, and making CAP agri-environmental schemes easier to access through local advisory support, templates and collective approaches.
He noted that farmers investing in barns, manure storage, water reservoirs and renewable energy projects often face lengthy and fragmented permitting procedures, delaying investments that could improve both competitiveness and sustainability. He also highlighted successful regional initiatives, including collective agri-environment contracts in Andalucía, where administrative responsibilities are managed collectively, reducing the burden on individual farmers while encouraging participation in environmental schemes. In addition, he pointed to the Region of Madrid, where innovative GPS-enabled "smart collars" are helping livestock farmers manage grazing more efficiently, reducing the need for physical infrastructure while improving environmental outcomes and demonstrating how technology can support both sustainability and simplification.
The debate comes as the European Commission prepares its new EU Livestock Strategy. Announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her 2025 State of the Union address and included in the 2026 Commission Work Programme under the priority "Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature", the strategy aims to strengthen the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of the EU livestock sector and agri-food chain, while protecting wildlife and the environment and improving elements of animal welfare. A public consultation, open until 10 April 2026, received 893 contributions from stakeholders across Europe, with the Commission expected to present the strategy on 1 July 2026.