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The European Commission should publish the Farm to Fork Strategy at the end of March (between 25/03/2020 and 31/03/2020), so the official version of the Strategy is still unknown. However, in the past week, another version of the Farm to Fork Strategy has escaped, which in addition to the original emphasis on sustainability, focus on results, use of low-risk pesticide alternatives, ensuring zero nitrogen and phosphorus pollution contained in fertilizers, enhancing animal welfare, reducing the volume of food waste or promoting the circular economy also newly mentions several key objectives of the Strategy. The first target should be to reduce the environmental footprint of the European food system between 2015 and 2030, the reduction rate is not yet set, the next target should then be set as a percentage reduction in the amount of chemical pesticides used between 2017 and 2030. By 2030, according to one of the other targets, the area of organic farming should be expanded (the rate is again unknown). Furthermore, a percentage target for the reduction of sales of antibiotics used in agriculture should be set; the reference period should be the period 2017-2030. In the case of fertilizers, the Strategy should provide for a "drastic" reduction of nutrient excess in soil in problematic areas. By 2030, the rise in obesity and overweight should be stopped. In terms of digitization, there should be a percentage increase in the EU agricultural area analysed through Copernicus, and a target for digitization in the fisheries and aquaculture sector (by 2030). One of the main objectives of the Strategy should also be to achieve growth in primary producers' incomes and to increase the average income of primary producers compared to other sectors. More information is available here.

The European Commission launched a public consultation on the Farm to Fork Strategy on 17/02/2020, which will be open for a further week until 16/03/2020. More information is available here.

The European Commission, together with the Farm to Fork Strategy, will also publish an Action Plan for the Farm to Fork Strategy. According to the most recent (and still unofficial and unfinished) version of the Action Plan, the Commission could consider: presentation of a new action plan for organic farming (2021-2026); a revision of The Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (2020-2022); a revision of current animal welfare legislation with the possibility of introducing a new animal welfare labelling system; the adoption of a revised EU strategy for sustainable aquaculture; drawing up an EU code and committing industry to responsible and transparent business and marketing behaviour in the food supply chain; revising and strengthening the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive to reduce overuse of packaging materials and enhance the sustainability of packaging materials; harmonization of nutrition labelling on the front of food packaging, country of origin labelling, food production sustainability labelling, or other types of labelling to address excessive consumption of sugar, saturated fats and salt. The Commission should also seek to establish a European Action Plan to combat food fraud (2020-2024). The Commission is also considering a study to assess the economic, environmental and social impacts of the production and consumption of the most consumed foods on the EU market (including, for example, the cost of obesity treatment). of consumed food on the EU market (i.e. including, for example, the cost of treating obesity).

As of 08/03/2020, thirteen EU Member States as well as a number of food organizations or retailers have supported the European Plastics Pact, which aims to strengthen collection and recycling capacity for plastic packaging in the European Union by at least 25% by 2025 and to increase the recycled plastic content of packaging materials to at least 30%, while reducing virgin plastic packaging by at least 20% by 2025. Nestlé has internally set higher targets, including the provision of 100% recyclable or reusable plastic packaging materials, while reducing virgin plastic packaging use by at least a third by 2025. The European Plastics Pact has been signed, for example, by PT, FR, DE, NL, or DK and by several large food companies such as Unilever, Nestlé, Coop, Bonduelle and Friesland Campina. More information is available here and here.

On 04/03/2020 the European Commission presented a proposal for a European Climate Law, according to the President of the European Commission, the proposal for a legal framework is a measure to ensure that the European Union becomes the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050. According to the European Commission, through its European climate framework, the European Commission proposes a legally binding target to achieve a zero GHG balance by 2050. To achieve this, the EU institutions and Member States will be required to take the necessary measures at EU and national level. Member States and EU progress will be monitored and reviewed regularly every five years under the Paris Agreement. The Commission will also set targets for 2030. By 2021, the Commission will review all relevant related policy instruments, proposing, if necessary, revising individual legislation. More information is available here and here.

On 04/03/2020, the European Commission presented a proposal for a European Climate Law, at the same time launching a public consultation on the new European Climate Pact. The European Commission states on its website that ‘the Commission will launch a European Climate Pact to give citizens and stakeholders from all parts of society a voice and role in designing new climate actions, sharing information, launching grassroots activities and showcasing solutions that others can follow. The inputs from this public consultation will be used to shape the Pact ahead of its launch before the United Nations climate change conference (COP26) taking place in Glasgow in November 2020’. The resulting text of the Climate Pact should be presented in the third quarter of 2020. The consultation is available here.