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The European Beer Producers' Representatives (Brewers of Europe) pledged on 05/09/2019 to provide information on the calorific value of beer on bottle labels from 2022 onwards. Producers have committed to displaying the energy value of beer either in calories per 100 millilitres, or listing all seven nutritional categories including carbohydrates, fats, fibre and protein. Producers may also decide to provide additional nutritional information outside the label (using, for example, QR codes), or to provide information that is valid for a single portion.
More information is available here.

Last week, Dutch Minister of Agriculture Carola Schouten said that she will seek to ban the transport of live animals if outside temperatures reach 35°C and above. Transport under these conditions should be prohibited by national legislation, which will only be applicable in the Netherlands. According to Schouten, during transport to the slaughterhouse, about 30 to 40% of the poultry transported had died due to high outdoor temperatures, in one case the mortality rate was even at 90%. The Dutch Minister welcomed the European Commission's call on Member States to introduce a ban on the transport of live animals if outside temperatures exceed 30°C. According to Schouten, this restriction should be included in the transport regulation in order to ensure its legal basis.

Austria informed the European Commission of its intention to impose a total ban on the use of glyphosate by 2022, becoming the first EU country to ban this controversial active substance. The decision, which was voted on by the Austrian Parliament in July 2019, must now be addressed by the EC and other EU Member States within the next 3 months. Like Austria, France is also planning to ban the use of glyphosate during 2022. German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze announced on 04/09/2019 plans to introduce a ban on the use of glyphosate by the end of 2023, the ban should be part of a comprehensive plan to stop mass extinction of insects and pollinators. Prior to the final ban, the use of plant protection products containing glyphosate in Germany will be significantly reduced from 2020 onwards. Dietrich Pradt, CEO of the Association of Agricultural Industry (IVA), considers the national ban to be a disadvantage for German farmers if the ban is not applied in other EU Member States. EU licenses for the use of glyphosate will expire at the end of 2022, before which EU Member States will discuss the possible renewal of the license.
More information is available here.

The European Commission will present to the EU Member States a proposal not to renew the license for the use of the active substance chlorpyrifos. This is a reaction to the recommendations of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which has recently published an evaluation of this substance, often used for the cultivation of, for example, broccoli or oranges. According to the EFSA assessment, chlorpyrifos may be a genotoxic substance and may therefore interfere with the proper development of children. The current license expires in January 2020, and the vote on the ban should take place in November 2019. The discussion between EU health experts is scheduled for the end of September.

The French public health organization Santé publique France published results of a study on the occurrence of endocrine disruptors in the human body. Tests with 1104 children and 2503 adults showed the presence of glycol ethers and parabens not only due to food contact, but also to toys and cosmetics. According to the study, endocrine disruptors are more of a risk to children's health than to adult health. The study was also discussed at the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Both the EP and EU Member States urge the European Commission to publish the long-awaited comprehensive report on the regulation of chemicals in this context as soon as possible.
More information is available here and here.