News

In June, Austria notified for the second time to the Commission its plan to ban glyphosate in accordance with the precautionary principle for the protection of public health and the environment. However, the European Commission stated that by banning glyphosate, Austria could violate European legislation.
More information is available here.

Last week's negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom on a post-Brexit agreement did not produce the expected results. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier even called the possibility of an agreement between the two parties unlikely. According to Barnier, the United Kingdom is pushing for points that would disrupt the European market and give Britain unfair competitive advantages. The transitional period will end on 31/12/2020, the new rules should enter into force in January 2021.

EU Commissioner for Trade, former Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan resigned on 26/08/2020. It happened after his participation in a gala dinner, which was attended by another 80 guests, including Irish Minister of Agriculture Dar Calleary. Calleary resigned last week. According to the available information, the action violated the rules against the spread of COVID-19. The resignation of Phil Hogan was already accepted on 27/08/2020 by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
More information is available here and here.

Germany has expressed doubts about the trade agreement with Mercosur and is currently delaying ratification of the agreement. Germany has so far supported the trade agreement, with doubts expressed by France. However, Germany has now expressed concerns about the potential impact of the agreement on the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

The German agricultural organization Land schafft Verbindung (Land Creates Connection, LsV) is trying to form alliances with other agricultural organizations to defend itself against the European Green Deal (which includes the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy). According to European media, the German organization should already have formed alliances with agricultural organizations from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. According to the German LsV, the implementation of the objectives of the European Green Deal would endanger the European agricultural sector. In this context, a Europe-wide agricultural demonstration is also planned to take place in Brussels during the autumn months. However, the German Presidency is preparing a draft opinion of the Environment Council, according to the draft opinion Germany will call on Member States to accelerate and ambitious the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which sets targets to reduce use of pesticides by 50%, use of fertilizers by 20% or sales of antibiotic by 50% by 2030.