News

On 24/03/2021, the European Commission issued new guidelines clarifying the concept of "environmental damage", which are part of the Environmental Liability Directive. The aim of the new guidelines is to help meet the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the theme of which will also be reflected in the forthcoming Action Plan on Zero Pollution. The guidelines explain in detail the extent of damage caused to watercourses and resources, soil, protected species, and natural habitats; it should help Member States to assess whether, in their case, it is necessary to take measures to prevent damage or to restore damaged areas.
More information is available here.

On 23/03/2021, the European Commission published the results of the second part of a study of a Europe-wide comparison of the quality of food products sold under the same brand with different compositions to see if any differences in composition could be recognized by the human senses. Sensory differences reflecting the composition of the samples were found in ten of the twenty food samples tested purchased in different EU Member States. The European Commission also confirmed in this study, carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), that, as in the first part of the study, the differences were not related to certain geographical areas, they occurred across Member States. FoodDrinkEurope, an organization representing the food industry, supported the Commission's report and emphasized that there was no evidence of differences in food quality in the Eastern and Western EU countries. Consumers' product purchasing decisions can be influenced not only by taste but also by price.
More information is available here and here.

Due to the rules of the World Trade Organization, the European Commission does not have the power to stop the import of food and agricultural commodities from third countries where pesticides are banned in the EU. As part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is therefore considering lowering the MRLs for banned pesticides on imported food - for the first time, the EU would reduce MRLs not only for human health but also for environmental impact. The European Union is under pressure from South American countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Paraguay), which are calling for a precise definition of sustainable practices and EU sustainability criteria to be followed. At the same time, they draw the EU's attention to the application of the so-called double standard, because the Union itself allows for the issuance of emergency permits for the use of banned pesticides, thereby helping the presence of banned pesticide residues on the EU market.

The new US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (in office since 24/02/2021, former Secretary of Agriculture under Barack Obama) last week confirmed the release of additional support for the agricultural sector in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. This time, the United States will provide support to its farmers of at least € 5.1 billion ($ 6 billion). The support will be targeted primarily at small and socially disadvantaged producers, organic farmers, producers of sensitive commodities, support for logging, the food supply chain, and producers of renewable fuels.
More information is available here.

The meeting of the Council of Ministers for Agriculture and Fisheries will take place on 22-23 / 03/2021 in Brussels. Ministers aim to reach an agreement on the Council regulation on fishing opportunities for 2021 and, for deep-sea stocks, for 2021 and 2022, for stocks shared with the United Kingdom. The Council will hold an exchange of views on the preparedness of phytosanitary measures to protect against plant pests which are threatening agriculture. The Council will also debate the reform package of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Under any other business, ministers will be informed by the Austrian delegation on behalf of a number of member states about challenges and priorities in the preparation of the EU forest strategy post-2020 and the Spanish delegation will inform ministers on extraordinary measures to alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the wine sector. A ministerial luncheon will discuss the social dimension of the CAP. The Council of Agriculture Ministers will be followed by a supertrialogue on the CAP, which will take place on 26/03/2021 from 09:00 to 18:45.