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Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius said on 22/06/2020 that ensuring food security in the European Union was no longer a key issue. On the contrary, the topics of food waste, overconsumption, obesity, and environmental footprints of food are gaining in importance. In addition, according to the Commissioner, food security will be ensured by moving towards sustainable food production. The Commissioner also emphasized that the coronavirus crisis must not weaken the European Union's efforts to protect the environment and the climate.
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Bayer opposed Austria's ban on glyphosate last week. According to Bayer, the ban is an obstacle to the free movement of goods in the EU's single internal market. At the same time, Bayer in the United States has decided to end litigation over the potential cause of cancer in individuals exposed to Glyphosate in Roundup and will pay $10.9 billion in damages. According to research by the World Health Organization, glyphosate is carcinogenic, but research by the European Food Safety Authority has not shown carcinogenicity.
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Following the decision of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (COMENVI) to conclude the joint negotiations on CAP reform with the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI), work on the CAP within the European Parliament is still suspended. COMAGRI called on COMENVI last week to resolve the situation and consider further cooperation, the topic should be discussed during the coming week. If the committees do not reach an agreement, they are likely to continue to negotiate separately to secure a majority for their own opinions in the plenary vote.

Last week, MEP Elsi Katainen (Renew, FI), the European Parliament's rapporteur on the rules for the transitional period of the CAP, reported on the progress of negotiations on the trialogue between Parliament, the Commission, and the Council. The institutions now unanimously support extending the transitional period for the CAP to two years. According to Katainen, a final agreement could be reached by 30/06/2020.

On 19/06/2020 EU leaders discussed during the European Summit a new proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) presented by the Commission on 27/05/2020. According to the Commission's proposal, the new MFF should amount to € 1.1 trillion, complemented by a recovery plan called the EU's Next Generation of € 750 million. However, due to differing attitudes between Member States to increase the MFF, no agreement was reached, Council President Charles Michel should now start negotiations with individual Member States, with another summit scheduled for mid-July.
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