"Wool is not waste, it’s a resource," according to farmer and co-op body, Copa Cogeca.

It has said that it is time for the EU to remove legal barriers and boost the sector.

Copa and Cogeca today (Monday March 2) published a new position paper on the valorisation of wool.

The organisations have highlighted that wool is increasingly treated as a burden, despite opportunities for its use.

Support for wool in the EU

The paper calls on EU policymakers to remove regulatory barriers that currently prevent wool from being fully exploited as a sustainable, circular, and renewable agricultural resource.

Although wool is renewable and biodegradable, EU farmers and cooperatives face significant legal and administrative obstacles, according to Copa and Cogeca.

Under EU legislation, raw wool from healthy animals is classified in a way that imposes disproportionate constraints on its handling, marketing, and use, Copa Cogeca added.

As a result, the European wool value chain has weakened considerably where prices have collapsed, often failing to cover even basic shearing costs.

The group said that limited EU processing capacity and the closure of key export markets have exacerbated the situation, leading to stockpiling on farms and widespread disposal of wool as waste.

"This is economically unsustainable and environmentally inconsistent, especially in light of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and Circular Economy objectives," the paper states.

Copa and Cogeca’s recommendations aim to unlock wool’s untapped potential by encouraging its marketing and valorisation, revising its legal classification, promoting on-farm uses, and supporting innovation.

The group said that these measures would transform wool from a liability into a valuable co-product, contributing to circularity, soil health, and farm sustainability.

Copa Cogeca has therefore called for concrete action within the framework of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the future EU Livestock Strategy.