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The Greek Ministry of Agriculture confirmed last week that African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed for the first time in Greece. The infected animal was found near the border with Bulgaria and northern Macedonia, in an area called Serres. In order to prevent the spread of ASF, the authorities banned the export of pigs and pig meat products from the region concerned. Greece is the tenth EU country affected by African swine fever.
More information is available here.

On 04/02/2020, the Institute for European Environmental Policy published a vision for the future of the European dairy industry, in which authors Faustine Bas-Defossez and Ben Allen stressed the need to develop an EU-wide definition of sustainable food and diet, together with the need to support Member States in financial mechanisms for sustainable food as a tool to subsidize the purchase of healthy and sustainable food available to all. They also recommend that the EU gradually phase out reduced VAT rates on unsustainable fertilizers and pesticides. The dairy sector accounts for 12% of European agricultural production, although dairy farms have decreased by 81% over the past 30 years, but production remains stable.
A vision for the future of the European dairy industry available here.

On 03/02/2020, the European Commission adopted a decision requiring Lithuania and Romania to comply with EU restrictions on the granting of unjustified special orders for the use of neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam). Both Lithuania and Romania are among the 7 Member States (together with BG, HU, FI, LV, and ES), which have repeatedly granted special authorizations for the use of neonicotinoids. According to Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides, this is the first EU decision in this regard, with the possibility of granting specific authorizations for neonicotinoids only if strict conditions are met.
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The European Commission has launched a stakeholder consultation to collect data on a study on the state of new genomic techniques under EU law, which should be published by the end of April 2021. European NGOs such as Greenpeace and Friends of Earth argued that representatives of companies investing in genetic modification technologies were invited to the study for the first debate, which did not allow for a balanced vote. The Commission stated that the possibility of greater participation will be given to organizations at the next meeting. The Commission also published a questionnaire on technologies for genetic modification, replies can be sent by 30/04/2020. Copa and Cogeca representing farmers and agricultural cooperatives as well as FoodDrinkEurope representing food and beverage producers can participate in the consultation.
More information is available here.

The world's leading palm oil producers, Indonesia and Malaysia, have rejected the EU plan to set a stricter limit on contaminants with likely long-term adverse effects on human health contained in refined oils, especially palm oil. The EU has set a limit for the most common contaminant glycid ester, soon to introduce limits for other contaminants. Harmful substances may be formed during the cooking process of edible oils. The Council of Palm Oil-producing Countries, led by Indonesia and Malaysia, has questioned the differences in the limits set, and calls for the same levels to be set compared to other oils.
More information is available here.