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Last week, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, who is responsible for implementing the European Green Deal, supported the development of precision agriculture. According to Timmermans, this could help the agricultural sector to move towards more environmentally friendly practices. Timmermans also said that the European Union must redouble its efforts to move towards sustainable food systems, drawing attention to the low quality of production on some large, intensive production farms. Timmermans supported the development of laboratory-produced meat and stated that, in the future, livestock fed with feed from third countries should not be considered sustainable.

On 23/06/2020, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski responded to a letter from the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development to strengthening assistance to the wine sector in times of crisis. Wojciechowski has promised a new separate supplementary package for wine producers, which should include modified distillation and storage measures and derogations from certain competition rules. The Commission is also reportedly considering strengthening flexibility for the fruit and vegetable sector.

A Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 as regards a specific measure provide exceptional temporary support under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in response to the COVID-19 outbreak was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 26/06/2020. This follows a Council decision of 24/06/2020, which supported the European Parliament's position on strengthening allocations for farmers and the overall envelope of support. The aid will take the form of a lump sum, to be paid by 30/06/2021 based on aid applications approved by the competent authority by 31/12/2020. The maximum amount of support will not exceed €7,000 per farmer and €50,000 per small or medium-sized enterprise. EAFRD support shall not exceed 2% of the total EAFRD contribution to the rural development program. The Regulation entered into force on 26/06/2020.
More information is available here.

On 24/06/2020, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel agreed with representatives of the German government on new legislation for the meat industry. The proposed regulations are a response to the new outbreaks of COVID-19 infection in several slaughterhouses in the country. The regulations concern the use of subcontractors in the meat industry and the responsibility of large slaughterhouses for workers, mainly from Eastern Europe, working on low wages and in poor working conditions. The proposal will still have to be approved by the German Parliament.
More information is available here and here.

On 24/06/2020, the ambassadors of the EU member states preliminarily approved an agreement on updating the rules governing excise duties on alcohol within the EU. The new rules include a number of changes, including an increase in the limit for lower-alcohol beer for which a reduced rate can be applied, from 2.8% by volume to 3.5% by volume (this change is intended to motivate consumers to prefer beverages with a lower alcohol content); extending the scope of the special scheme of reduced rates of excise duty to small producers of beer and alcohol to producers of other fermented beverages; the introduction of a single certification system in the EU, which will confirm the status of small independent producers and be recognized in all EU countries; and specifying the conditions for the application of the rules under which denatured alcohol is exempt from excise duty. The Council will formally adopt the new rules once the legal-linguistic revision of the Directive has been completed. National law shall apply from 01/01/2022.
More information is available here.