Euro Foie Gras’ Executive Board: An Ambitious Sector Looking Towards the Future 

Euro Foie Gras held its Executive Board meeting on October 24th in a positive and constructive atmosphere. 

Members welcomed the remarks made by the President of the European Commission in her State of the Union address on September 13th before the European Parliament. The tribute paid to European farmers who produce healthy food for 450 million citizens across Europe and ensure food security in the European Union was well received. Given the increasing challenges that the agricultural sector must face, it is essential that farmers are more heard and fully supported by the European Union. This is why Euro Foie Gras expressed its willingness to participate in the strategic dialogue on the future of European agriculture. 

After several avian influenza outbreaks that severely affected the poultry sector in recent years, the European sanitary situation is now considered stable. Furthermore, the French  Foie Gras Interbranch Association (Cifog)  praised the successful implementation of the vaccination plan in France, the first European producer and genetic reservoir. Although there is much hope placed in vaccination, it was unanimously emphasized that it is an additional and complementary tool to biosecurity measures, which remain the cornerstone of the fight against avian influenza. 

Euro Foie Gras is also closely following the process of revising marketing standards. Members reiterated their desire to see the delegated act related to poultry meat maintaining the definition of raw foie gras adopted. This is crucial for preserving and promoting European craftsmanship, which enables the production of this exceptional dish, and for providing consumers with accurate information. 

2024 will be an election year. The European foie gras sector approaches these upcoming European elections with ambition and clarity. “There is a collective will to take the time to assess what we have achieved over the past five years and to engage in a joint reflection on the objectives we want to reach, especially in terms of promoting our production,” concluded Christophe Barrailh, President of Euro Foie Gras.