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The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has introduced a new harmonized methodology for estimating food waste, which allows comparisons of food waste generated across EU countries at each step of the supply chain and the food group. Following the new methodology, the JRC supported the obligation to submit annual reports on food waste. Food waste is one of the priority areas of the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork strategy and is therefore covered by the European Green Deal. The European Commission is currently setting up a multidisciplinary European Forum against Food Waste, which should serve as one of the main platforms for the development of solutions and tools to address food waste by consumers.
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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is finalizing an assessment of the eligibility of emergency authorizations issued by Member States (a total of 12 EU Member States have granted emergency authorizations) for the use of banned neonicotinoids. The assessment should be published between the end of October and November 2021, covering a total of 17 special authorizations for the use of clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. EFSA is also still working to revise the methodology used to assess exemptions to be more in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork and the EU Biodiversity Strategy. The new methodology is expected to be completed in 2022 and will support the harmonization of pesticide use rules in EU countries.

On 11/10/2021, the European Commission published a new report entitled "Report on the implementation of Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources based on Member State reports for the period 2016–2019". The European Commission's conclusions show that, even after 30 years, the situation in some countries is unsatisfactory, and therefore some Member States must take further action immediately to achieve the objectives of the Nitrates Directive. These are Belgium, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany, which are furthest from achieving their goals. Therefore, in 2022, the Commission will develop an Integrated Action Plan for Nutrient Management, based on the Zero Pollution Action Plan. The integrated plan will aim to coordinate efforts to tackle nutrient pollution at source, identify the need to reduce nutrient loads to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal (50%) and stimulate markets for safe and sustainable recovered nutrients. The sustainability of the livestock sector should also be improved. The Commission also plans to present a new regulation on fertilizers for 2022 (probably July 2022), which should extend the scope of the current regulation on fertilizers from pure inorganic fertilizers to organo-mineral and organic fertilizers. This should pave the way for the placing of these processed organic fertilizers on the EU internal market.
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On 19/10/2021, the European Commission will present its work program for the coming year, i.e., the year when the Council of the EU will be chaired by France (in the first half of 2022) and the Czech Republic (in the second half of 2022). According to the preliminary version of the work plan, the Commission envisages postponing the submission of a revision of the Pesticides Directive, from the originally planned March to May 2022. Before presenting a revision of the Directive, the Commission will publish a roadmap and launch a public consultation, both probably by the end of October 2021 or November 2021. Legislative proposal for certification schemes for carbon removal plans to launch in March 2022. The Commission is likely to present a revision of seed marketing legislation and other legislation on plant / forest reproductive material in December 2022, and a public consultation and roadmap should be available by the end of this year. In September 2022, the Commission plans to present a revised list of surface and groundwater pollutants, a roadmap and a public consultation is expected by the end of 2021. The Commission is preparing a revision of the Regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (1272/2008). in this case, a roadmap and a public consultation is expected by the end of this year (November). Rules to limit microplastics should be presented in mid-May 2022, a working framework for biodegradable and compostable plastics should be published as early as April 2022.

A total of 27 European organizations representing food supply chain representatives in the EU (including Copa and Cogeca, ELO, CLITRAVI, FEFAC, COCERAL, CIBE, EDA) drew the European Commission's attention in a joint statement to the negative effects of implementing the Farm to Fork objectives, as highlighted by several independent studies. The organizations therefore called on the European Commission to carry out a cumulative impact assessment. Shortly before the European Parliament's plenary vote on its own opinion on Farm to Fork, the organizations emphasized their agreement on the need to strengthen the sustainability of the European agricultural and food sector, but the combination of proposed Farm to Fork objectives could jeopardize the viability of European farmers and food chain. All recently published studies by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the German University of Kiel, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), the HFFA Scientific Advisory Society, and most recently - the Wageningen University in the Netherlands concludes that the implementation of the targets will be associated with a number of major impacts, including, for example, a 5 to 25% drop in European agricultural production (depending on the commodity and the specific study). In addition, the JRC study states that the EU should achieve a 20-30% reduction in agricultural emissions by implementing the targets, but that European greenhouse gas reductions will be offset by 40-60% of increased emissions in non-EU countries to boost production in third countries. According to a study by the University of Kiel, the European Union would become a net importer of a net exporter of some agricultural commodities; according to a USDA study, implementing Farm to Fork goals at EU level alone will increase the number of people without sufficient access to food by up to 22 million. In the case of worldwide implementation of Farm to Fork goals, even by 184 million. Agricultural organizations therefore call on the Commission to draw up a cumulative comprehensive impact assessment. Organizations warn against declining production, increasing dependence on imports from third countries, and jeopardizing the EU's ability to ensure food security and food security.
More information is available here.