What effects could the French ban on MBM in animal feed have on imports and production of oilseeds?
meat and bone meal provides an important source of protein. If it cannot be used, it must be substituted using vegetable material. The alternative sources of this substitution will be determined by technical and economic factors, based on a mixture of different raw materials with an equivalent feed value. Part of the substitution would be domestic and some would come from imports. The most important material is soya meal, of which the EU is already importing 15 million tonnes from non-EU countries per year, mostly from the Americas. Producing this quantity in the EU would require not only a completely different set of policies, it would also require a different climate and agronomic environment. The EU has a commitment to respect its international WTO obligations (Blair House), which restricts EU oilseeds production to about 5 million hectares. However, by aligning the direct aid paid for oilseeds to the aid for cereals (63 /t) from mid-2002 on, this restriction will then become irrele
