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For the first time, the European Commission has included animal welfare-based condition in the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. Under the market access provisions negotiated in the EU's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Mercosur of 15/07/2021, EU animal welfare standards must now be applied to preferential imports of eggs from Mercosur. However, the Commission does not plan to add any additional animal welfare-based conditions. The largest European agricultural organization, Copa and Cogeca, considers the amendment to be a very important step, but insufficient for ratification of the agreement. Copa and Cogeca still consider the agreement to be unbalanced and inconsistent with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
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The Assessment Group on Glyphosate (AGG), composed of experts from FR, HU, NL, and SE, issued a report of almost 11,000 pages, according to which glyphosate cannot be classified as a carcinogen. After examining all the evidence submitted by companies seeking renewal of EU glyphosate approval, the AGG report states that glyphosate can cause serious eye damage but is not carcinogenic and therefore fulfils the criteria for further approval of the substance. On 15/06/2021, the AGG submitted its assessments to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in a draft recovery assessment report (dRAR) and reports containing a proposal for a harmonized classification and labelling (CLH). EFSA and ECHA will now continue the classification process, and a public consultation should be launched in the first week of September.
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Representatives of the European institutions met at the last technical trialogue on the CAP Strategic Plans on 23/07/2021 to translate at political level the political agreement on the future CAP package into legislation, the final text should be available during the summer holidays. The last political agreement addressed three main issues - the approval of national plans based on legally binding requirements, the eligibility of funding for national schemes under the CAP for climate and the environment, and the clarification of the recital of Article 4 on the definition of active farmer. The agreement was approved by the Council of Ministers on 28/06/2021 but has not yet been approved by the European Parliament - a vote is likely to take place in September or October 2021. The agreement should be followed by delegated and implemented acts by the European Commission. national strategic plans for the CAP by the end of 2021.

During the Council of Ministers on 19/07/2021, the ministers of agriculture discussed the text of the Action plan for organic production in the EU, which was presented by the European Commission on 25/03/2021. The first discussion of ministers on this topic took place in May 2021, but no conclusions were reached. During the July meeting, ministers generally supported the goal of the action plan to expand the area of organic farming - that by 2030 organic farming should cover 25% of the agricultural land in the European Union. However, the ministers supported the voluntary nature of the action plan, meaning that the Action Plan does not set any legally binding targets. Ministers also supported the European Commission's intention to boost demand for organic food through public procurement, supported the stimulation of demand for organic food in general, and supported the development of national plans for organic farming. According to the ministers, the different starting situations of the member states should be considered, and it will also be necessary to avoid increasing the administrative burden. Representatives of NL, SE, EE, FI, HU, FR, BE, and DK supported the strengthening of research and innovation in organic farming; Representatives of PT, EE, CZ, and HU supported strengthening the flexibility of Member States.
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During the Council of Ministers on 19/07/2021, agriculture ministers discussed the European Commission's position on the End the Cage Age European Citizens' Initiative. The European Commission issued an opinion on cage farming at the end of June 2021, supporting a ban on cage farming for all caged livestock from 2027. The European Commission should translate legislative proposals to ban cage farming at the end of 2023, at the same time as revising legislation relating to animal welfare. During the Council meeting, agriculture ministers generally supported the goal of ending cage farming but considered the ban from 2027 to be too ambitious. Slovenian Minister of Agriculture Jože Podgoršek, who currently chairs the Council of Agriculture Ministers, said that the basis for the ban on cage farming must be scientific evidence, and that research and investment must be supported. However, in addition to general support for the ban on cage farming, agriculture ministers said that it would be necessary to provide farmers with sufficient financial support, and this aspect should also be part of the forthcoming legislative proposal. The Estonian representative added that the investments necessary to move to cage-free systems could only be returned to farmers after twenty or thirty years, which needs to be reflected. Finland therefore supported the allocation of funds not only from the CAP, but also called for aid to be strengthened in line with the State Aid Guidelines. The Italian representative emphasized the need to protect European producers from cheap imports that do not comply with European rules. The decline in the competitiveness of European farmers vis-à-vis producers from third countries was also emphasized by the ministers as unacceptable.
More information is available here and here.