News

In a statement dated 08/01/2021, French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie confirmed that the only possible step to stop the spread of the highly pathogenic bird flu virus in France would probably be to kill hundreds of thousands more ducks. To protect the lucrative duck and goose and duck liver industry, it is necessary to act as quickly as possible. It is essential to prevent the virus from spreading from the Landes area, where 119 out of 124 sites have been affected, to farms in the Béarn area and in Gers. In connection with the spread of the virus in France, trade supplies to China were interrupted.
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The British government issued a decision on 08/01/2021 granting an emergency permit for the use of neonicotinoids for the treatment of sugar beet seed for 2021. Although the United Kingdom supported a ban on the substance within the EU in 2018 because of its effects on pollinators, it has now stated that the reason for granting an exemption is the potential risk of beetroot infestation by viral jaundice spread by infected aphids. Last year, 10 EU member states granted similar exemptions.
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France continues to reject the ratification of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement - in particular, it considers insufficient and unsatisfactory points concerning deforestation, respect for the Paris Agreement, and EU food standards. There is a possibility that France could refuse ratification even after the negotiation of additional articles aimed at strengthening climate protection and preventing deforestation. The United States has also spoken out against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, fearing that the European market will be filled with South American products, which would significantly limit the opportunities and profits of American producers.
More information is available here.

The European Commission has proposed to pay Ireland a total of €1.05 billion from the European Compensation Fund for the Impact of Brexit, the compensation fund totalling €4.2 billion set aside for 2021. The Commission's proposal to pay 25% of the Fund to Ireland has yet to be approved by the European Parliament and Council. Ireland has also been promised financial assistance for the future distribution of €1.1 billion under the 2024 fund.
More information is available here.

Extensive border controls between the EU and the United Kingdom complicate the transport of goods, which also has a negative impact on the transport of goods to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has therefore called on the EU and the UK to speed up the simplification of border controls. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has taken temporary measures to simplify the transport of veterinary goods, and for the time being recognizes the electronically sent version of health certificates.
More information is available here and here.