News

On 10/01/2020, the European Commission formally adopted a regulation banning the use of chlorpyrifos insecticide used to control insect pests on various crops and chlorpyrifos-methyl used to treat stored cereal grains and empty stores. Pursuant to this decision, Member States must withdraw within one month all authorizations for plant protection products containing these active substances developed by Corteva. Member States may grant a grace period of a maximum of 3 months for final storage, disposal and use. After this period, active substances may no longer be placed on the market or used in the EU. The European Food Safety Authority concluded in early August 2019 that chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl may be genotoxic and neuropathogenic. The regulations will be published in the Official Journal of the EU in the coming days.
More information is available here.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski last week confirmed the last members of his cabinet. Alongside Maciej Golubiewski (PL, Head of Cabinet), Magdalena Majerczyk (PL, likely to be in charge of agricultural policy), and Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle (FR, former Head of the European Food Safety Authority, Deputy Head of Cabinet) the team joined Pinto Antunes (PT, currently employed by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate) and Roberto Berutti (IT, Permanent Representation of Italy). Kamil Ochmanski, Polish representative, will become the political advisor responsible for communication.

British MEPs approved an agreement on withdrawal from the EU at 3rd reading on 09/01/2020 with a ratio of 330 votes to 231. Last week, EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier drew attention to possible losses to the UK if it failed to reach a trade agreement with the EU. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insists on a level playing field in environmental and social standards, state aid, and taxes in the EU-UK economic partnership. It seeks to be ready by 01/02/2020 to propose a negotiating mandate for a trade agreement with the UK to the EU Member States, with negotiations starting in late February or early March. The aim will be to make the most progress by June by the EU-27 and UK Leaders' Meeting. On 16/01/2020, the UK introduced a new funding system to replace the CAP in the UK - farmers will be rewarded for improving access to land and strengthening environmental measures.
More information is available here and here.

According to the statement of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) of 16/01/2020, in December 2019 total food prices increase by 2.5% compared to the previous month, this is the third increase in food prices in a row, and food prices have reached the highest level since December 2014. According to the FAO, the increase in prices was caused by greater demand for commodities, mainly from the biofuels sector, and by concerns about tightening supply. In particular, prices of vegetable oil (+ 9.4% last month), sugar and dairy products increased. According to the Press Secretary of the Fern, a company dedicated to protecting forests and human rights, to stop rising food prices, the EU needs to stop incentives to use agricultural crops to produce energy.
More information is available here.

On 09/01/2020, the European Commission published a report according to which EU exports of agri-food products reached record levels. The report states that total exports rose by a record 12% since October 2018 to € 14.7 billion in October. Since October 2018, imports increased by 3.6% to € 10.7 billion (€ 4 billion surplus). The largest increase in exports was recorded in China; the largest importer of food goods from the EU is still the US. The increase in EU exports was mainly due to increased demand for pork to China as a result of African swine fever, with the total export value increasing by 82% in October 2019 compared to the last year.
More information is available here.