News

On 12/05/2021, the European Commission published an assessment of the impact of the CAP on viable food production. According to the results of the evaluation, the CAP direct payments significantly support the stabilization of farmers' incomes, and support for areas with natural handicaps also plays an important role. However, despite all the financial support, there remains a significant gap between farmers' incomes and income of workers from other sectors. On the contrary, the role and settings of VCS payments, organic payments, and rules for the definition of an active farmer should be improved.
More information is available here.

On 12/05/2021, the Commission launched feedback on the annual report on controls and labelling of organic products. The aim of the initiative is to make a change in the part of the Member States' annual report on the production and labelling of organic products. The consultation is open until 09/06/2021, available here.

On 12/05/2021, the Commission launched feedback on the certificate for operators located outside the EU and on the list of control bodies and operators in the field of organic food. The initiative under the new Organic Production Regulation sets out: a model certificate for non-EU entities and an electronic certification system; and a list of control authorities and bodies. The consultation is open until 09/06/2021, available here.

On 12/05/2021, the European Commission presented a new Action Plan for Zero Air, Water and Soil Pollution. The action plan will be the main theme of the forthcoming EU Green Week (01-04 / 06/2021, Brussels). The action plan sets out the path to zero water, soil, and air pollution by 2050, by which time pollution should be reduced to a level that is no longer harmful to human health or natural ecosystems. According to the European Commission, the plan links all relevant EU policies to combat and prevent pollution, with particular emphasis on the use of digital solutions. Relevant EU legislation will also be reviewed to identify remaining gaps and identify where it is necessary to improve their implementation to meet these legal obligations.
More information is available here and here.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued an opinion in May on titanium dioxide (E 171), a long-discussed food additive used in food bleaching. According to the EFSA opinion, titanium dioxide can no longer be considered as a safe food additive because its genotoxicity cannot be ruled out. According to current information, the European Commission is ready to present a proposal to ban the use of titanium dioxide in the European Union, negotiations with the Member States will begin on 18/05/2021. It is not yet known on what date the substance will be banned and how long the transition period will be set. The ban can cause problems not only when using the substance as a food additive in food, but also in food supplements or food packaging.
More information is available here.

On 11/05/2021, the French Ministry of Agriculture announced the provision of almost €90 million to farmers to compensate for losses caused by bird flu, which affected poultry farming at the turn of 2020/2021. This is only the first step in helping farmers, according to Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie, the final amount of compensation is likely to be higher. Of this €90 million, €40 million is earmarked for farmers, €30 million for animals and the hatching egg sector, and €9 million for farmers who are unable to sell their produce due to veterinary restrictions. Processors of raw materials will then be entitled to claim a total of €10 million in the form of repayable cash advances.
More information is available here.