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The legislative proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy is divided into three parts, in addition to the main part (Strategic Plans see above); it also consists of the Horizontal Issues and the Common Market Organization (CMO). Unlike the Strategic Plans, where a new rapporteur for the report had to be appointed due to the non-election of the original rapporteur, the original rapporteurs of these reports were re-elected in the European Parliament elections in May and will therefore assume the role of rapporteurs now. Thus, German MEP Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe) remains the rapporteur for the EP report on Horizontal Issues, while French MEP Eric Andrieu (S&D) remains the rapporteur for the EP report on the CMO. Anne Sander (EPP, FR), Pina Picierno (S&D, IT) and Matt Carthy (GUE/NGL, IE) have so far been appointed Shadow Rapporteurs on Horizontal Issues. Anne Sander (EPP, FR) Jérémy Decerle (Renew Europe, FR) and Petros Kokkalis (GUE/NGL, GR) have been appointed as shadow rapporteurs for the CMO.
More information is available here and here.

The European Parliament has published a schedule of public hearings to assess the commissioners’ suitability for the job. A public hearing with Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski will be held on 01/10/2019 from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm, and on the same day there will be a public hearing with Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides from 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm. The public hearing with Commissioner-designate for Environment Virginian Sinkevichius will take place on 03/10/2019 from 2.30 pm. The schedule is available here.

According to the European media, MEPs' questions for candidate Wojciechowski should focus on his vision of the European scheme for the payment of agricultural subsidies; trade agreements; the environmental impact of farming; reduction in the volume of pesticides used; or cooperation with the European Parliament. Questions directed to candidate Kyriakides will focus on the fight against cancer; EU authorization process for pesticides and other active substances; antimicrobial resistance; or the effects of endocrine disruptors on the human body. According to preliminary information, Sinkevichius should answer questions on biodiversity, deforestation, the circular economy and the strategy for achieving carbon neutrality.

The results of the hearings should be examined by the Conference of Chairs of the EP Committees on 15/10/2019, followed by the Conference of Chairs of the EP on 17/10/2019. The EP plenary should then approve the results of the public hearing on 23/10/2019 in a vote and the new Commission should take up the mandate from 01/11/2019.

Members of the European Parliament voted on 18/09/2019 on the issue of patenting products obtained through conventional breeding by the European Patent Office (EPO). The European Parliament rejected the patenting of EPO products, calling on the Member States and the Commission to do everything in their power to ensure legal clarity regarding the ban on patentability of products obtained essentially by biological processes by the EPO. The issue of patenting is also discussed by agricultural experts of individual EU Member States, who will meet for further discussion on 23/09/2019.
More information is available here and here.

On 14/09/2019, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) launched a public consultation on the risks of high levels of pesticide residues in food. EFSA invited interested parties to submit written comments on two draft reports on chronic nutritional effects and chronic thyroid effects by 15/11/2019. Both draft reports, prepared in cooperation between EFSA and the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands (RIVM), summarize that the risk to consumers from exposure to food is well below the regulatory action threshold.
More information is available here.

The European Union Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) received 3699 reports in 2018; of which 1118 cases were classified as Warnings (these cases pose serious health risks for EU citizens). The number of reports increased by 19% compared to 2017, most of the reports concerned nuts, food and vegetables. The most commonly reported problems were the occurrence of aflatoxins in nuts and the mercury content in swordfish meat. The European Commission has also received a large number of notifications concerning outbreaks of listeriosis in various EU countries. According to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, 191 of the 3699 notifications concerned notifications in which the Czech Republic was listed as the country of origin or product distribution, or in which the Czech Republic was listed as a supplier. A total of 81% of notifications in the Czech Republic concerned food, 12% concerned materials and articles in contact with food, and 7% concerned feed.
More information is available here and here.