News

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.

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.
More information is available here and here.

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.
More information is available here and here.