News

The European Council closed the Schengen area for one-month last week. At the same time, some European countries close their own borders, creating complications for the transfer of agri-food commodities across borders. In the past week, several kilometres of tailbacks were formed, for example at the Polish, German, Italian, or some Baltic borders, waiting times ranged from 2.5 to 20 hours. This disproportionately extends the time of transport of live animals, and companies are also at risk of terminating contracts from retail chains for late delivery of goods. The European Commission proposes to reserve special lanes for food-carrying trucks to minimize supply chain disruption.

On 17/03/2020, the European Commission granted postponement of the deadline for applications for direct payments and some payments under rural development programs. The application deadline was extended from 15/05/2020 to 15/06/2020. The reason for the postponement is the spread of the COVID-19 in Europe, Italy being the first to ask the Commission to postpone the deadline, followed by Spain. The granting of the deferral is valid for all Member States and all eligible farmers, but Member States may decide not to apply the deferral.
More information is available here.

On 17/03/2020, the European Commission confirmed its interest in implementing the European Green Deal despite the spread of COVID-19 in the Europe. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called the Green Deal the flagship of the current Commission. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš abandoned the Green Deal due to coronavirus outbreak on 16/03/2020. On the contrary, the support of the maintenance of the European Green Deal as a key European priority was supported by the Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Pascal Canfin (FR, Renew Europe). However, some of the initiatives planned for the coming weeks and months are likely to be postponed allowing proper debate in the institutions.
More information is available here and here.

Scientists from the University of Göttingen in Germany conducted an online study to monitor the views of German consumers on possible ways to tackle obesity. The measures examined also included a proposal to ban advertising of high-sugar foods intended for children, or to introduce a tax on sweetened beverages. The study was attended by 1000 respondents, of which 60% agreed with the proposed measures. Promoting a healthy lifestyle is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. However, due to concerns about public reaction, the ministry has not yet planned to introduce a tax on unhealthy food.
More information is available here.

On 16/03/2020, Germany confirmed an outbreak of H5N8 bird flu in Saxony in eastern Germany, at a poultry farm in Bad Lausick near Leipzig. All poultry were slaughtered, quarantine was established in the area. The incidence of avian influenza in Germany was first reported this year in January 2020, it was an infection in a wild individual. Since the end of 2019, cases of avian influenza have been confirmed in Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
More information is available here.