News

On 30/06/2020, the European Commission published two additional calls to support the sale of agri-food products (fruit, vegetables, wine, plants, potatoes, milk, and milk products) worth €10 million. The meat was excluded from additional promotional programs. The first call will provide €5 million to support simple programs that can be submitted by one or more producer organizations from the same EU country, another €5 million will be allocated to national government activities. In both programs, promotion can be applied within and outside the EU for a period of 1 year. Applications can be submitted until 27/08/2020.
More information is available here and here.

Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said on 30/06/2020 that it would be necessary to address the problems associated with intensive meat production in some farms, which, according to the commissioner, had become literally "meat factories". Wojciechowski therefore called for the strengthening of alternatives to intensive meat production, supported the granting of compensation to farmers who voluntarily strengthen animal welfare standards, as well as the shift to organic production.

Last week, German Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner supported rising meat and sausage prices to reflect the true value of food and to help boost animal welfare. According to Klöckner, prices could rise by up to 40 eurocents per kilogram (in the form of a tax on animal welfare). Meat and sausages should not become a luxury item, but higher prices should prevent everyday waste. Rising meat prices could also lead to a reduction in advertising campaigns for meat in shops. Klöckner will also support the introduction of a European animal welfare labelling system. A part of the European Parliament is also calling for a strengthening of meat prices and a reduction in meat production - Polish MEP Sylwia Spurek (S&D), who has long advocated the introduction of a meat tax, called on the Commission last week to take steps to reduce meat production, especially in intensive production companies. The MEP's call was supported by a further 31 MEPs, mostly from the Greens.
More information is available here and here.

Thirty-three countries, including Argentina, Kenya, Nigeria, Colombia and Egypt, submitted on 24/06/2020 a proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee to reduce EU rules on maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides that restrict imports of fruit and vegetables from outside the EU for a period of 1 year. The measure should therefore help countries recover from a coronavirus pandemic.
More information is available here.

The United States threatens to introduce new tariffs on beer, spirits, chocolate, and olives from the EU. The imposition of duties is a US response to subsidies provided to Airbus. Last year, the World Trade Organization declared the subsidies unjustified and allowed the US to collect tariffs on EU goods, including aircraft, wine, and cheese. The US is considering new $3.1 billion a year in tariffs on 30 additional products, including beer, spirits, or chocolate, and is already applying tariffs of 15% to 25% on various EU products worth $7.5 billion in the dispute.
More information is available here.