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On 17/11/2021, the European Commission presented a proposal for a regulation of the European parliament and of the Council on the making available on the Union market as well as export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010. The European Commission's goal is to make the greatest possible contribution to halting global deforestation and forest degradation. Despite the original plans, some commodities such as processed meat, maize and rubber were eventually omitted from the legislative proposal, and the legislation does not apply to grasslands or wetlands. However, this is criticized by environmental organizations because, in their view, these areas are significantly threatened by agricultural activity, especially soybean cultivation. The new legislative proposal states that all companies that sell beef, soybeans, palm oil, wood, coffee, cocoa, cowhide, chocolate, or furniture on the European market, regardless of their registered office, must prove that all commodities are legal and have not caused deforestation or forest degradation.
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The European Commission presented on 17/11/2021 a new EU soil strategy for 2030. The aim of the new strategy is to reduce soil pollution to a level that will no longer be harmful to natural ecosystems. By 2050, all soil ecosystems should be completely healthy and resilient. The Soil Strategy, like other strategies under the European Green Deal, also sets out a roadmap for other legislative and non-legislative initiatives that the Commission intends to pursue to achieve this goal. Following the new Soil Strategy, the Commission therefore envisages presenting a new legislative proposal, the so-called Soil Health Law, in the course of 2023. In the new strategy, the European Commission links soil health to the main goal of the European Green Deal - achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
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Large agricultural companies, including BASF, Bayer and Syngenta, will join forces with major European banks and insurance companies, including Swiss Re and Zurich Insurance Group, to support the development of carbon agriculture in the European Union. The concept is based on providing payments to farmers for maintaining carbon in the soil using various techniques, while polluting companies allow the concept to offset their own emissions by buying credits from these farmers. The coalition has already held talks with almost 2,000 farmers across the European Union to see how carbon farming could work best, with the coalition launching the first set of pilot programs early next year. The European Commission is also working to support carbon farming, Commission should present its Communication on 14/12/2021. The Communication should set the direction for a European carbon model. According to the Commission, revenues from the current emissions trading scheme could also be used to kick-start carbon development efforts.
More information is available here.

On 12/11/2021, the European Commission adopted a contingency plan for food supply and food security in times of crisis, in response to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, but also in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, in particular the Farm to Fork strategy. According to the Commission, the contingency plan identifies several existing shortcomings and proposes measures to improve preparedness at EU level. For this purpose, the Commission shall establish a European Food Security Crisis preparedness and response Mechanism (EFSCM), it will be a group of food chain experts, coordinated by the Commission, to exchange data, procedures and strengthen coordination. The mechanism will be based on a group of experts bringing together representatives of the Member States and certain third countries and actors from all stages of the food chain, and on a set of rules and procedures to guide its operation. The group will meet regularly and in the event of a crisis, even in a very short time, and as often as the situation requires. The group will be operational in mid-2022 and should be operational by 2024, focusing on risk forecasting, assessment and monitoring (better preparedness by making use of available data, including weather and climate and market data) and on coordination, cooperation and communication (sharing information, best practices and national contingency plans, development of crisis management recommendations, coordination and cooperation with the international community).
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Member States unanimously supported the ban on the use of titanium dioxide in food during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) last month. The ban is expected to take effect in January 2022, but a transitional period of six months from the entry into force of the new legislation will be set for industry.
More information is available here.