Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 25 ISSUE 3
Written by Dorina Florentina VASILE, Georgiana Armenita ARGHIROIU, Silviu BECIU

The decline in livestock numbers in the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) in the last decade has affected not only the regional meat production but also the trade flows. This paper examines the evolution of livestock and meat imports in the CEECs over the past decade, a period marked by a significant rise in meat imports across most of these countries. The method is quantitative based on data sourced from ITC and Eurostat. Findings reveal that the leading livestock producing countries in the region are also major importers. Additionally, countries such as Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands — which hold a large share of the EU’s livestock — play a key role in meeting the meat import demand of the CEECs. Romania and Poland, which account for the largest share of livestock within the CEECs, along with the Czech Republic, also rank among the top meat-importing countries in the region. Excepting poultry meat sector, all the other sectors are depending on the imports from the Western Europe.

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