News

On 09/02/2021, the Commission launched feedback on the review of promotion programs inside and outside the Union for EU agricultural and food products. The Commission will review EU policy to increase its contribution to sustainable production and consumption. The consultation is open until 09/03/2021, available here.

The Commission is still receiving feedback on updating EU rules on industrial emissions. The initiative aims to update the rules in such a way that, thanks to the contribution of industry, the state of the environment continues to improve. The consultation is open until 23/03/2021, available here.

On 08/02/2021, the Commission launched feedback on environmental protection through criminal law. The Directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law is intended to protect the environment through criminal law, appropriate sanctions, and cross-border cooperation. The consultation is open until 03/05/2021, available here.

The German government has confirmed the finding of a third outbreak of H5N8 avian influenza on a farm in the Uckermark District of Brandenburg. 14,000 turkeys were killed in connection with this case. At the end of January 2021, Sweden also confirmed the occurrence of bird flu, where 1.3 million poultry had to be killed due to the disease on a chicken farm.
More information is available here.

Germany approved a new legislative regulation on 10/02/2021 to strengthen insect protection. The new regulation aims to enhance insect biodiversity, further tighten pesticide use, and ban the use of glyphosate by 2024. In addition, its use will be severely restricted until a total ban on glyphosate. German farmers have already opposed the government's decision, stressing that the regulation would fundamentally jeopardize their viability and business. Germany's initiative is influenced, among other things, by its efforts to meet the goals of European strategies, including Farm to Fork. In Germany, efforts are currently being made to ban the production and subsequent export of active substances that are banned from use in the EU but may continue to be used in third countries. The same legislation has already been introduced by France and will enter into force in 2022.
More information is available here, here and here.

On 09/02/2021, the European Parliament approved a proposal to extend the exceptional market measures for the wine sector by one year until mid-October 2021 (the measures are valid retroactively from mid-October 2020). Measures supported by Parliament include strengthening the flexibility to co-finance national aid for the wine sector; authorizing changes relating to the promotion, restructuring and adjustment of vineyards; or support for green harvesting.
More information is available here.

Ukraine is aiming to expand its trade agreement with the EU, especially in the food industry. At the meeting on 11/02/2021, Ukraine asked the European Union to promote free trade. Ukraine's argument is that Ukraine's agri-food production is not a direct competitor to European agri-food production. The European Union has not yet taken a positive view, especially in view of concerns about the European market being too open to many Ukrainian products and possible market overcrowding.
More information is available here.