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Romania has exported over 70,000 live sheep to the Persian Gulf countries over the past few weeks, with outdoor temperatures up to 40 °C. According to the Romanian representative of Permanent Representation, Achim Irimescu, Romania respected the welfare rules set by the European Union, but Irimescu said that the ban on transporting live animals would be a great economic loss for Romania. Animal transport was also discussed during the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 15/07/2019. According to most EU Member State ministers, the transport of live animals should be banned if outside temperatures exceed 30 °C, some Member States (such as NL) have already introduced strict national rules for the transport of animals during the summer months. NL representatives endorsed the adoption of harmonized rules at EU level to ban animal transport at temperatures above 30 °C across the EU. Denmark supported the limitation of transport time to 8 hours and called for the transport of meat, not live animals. But, according to Irimescu, animals in the southern countries are commonly used to temperatures in excess of 30 °C.
More information is available here.

Romania has exported over 70,000 live sheep to the Persian Gulf countries over the past few weeks, with outdoor temperatures up to 40 °C. According to the Romanian representative of Permanent Representation, Achim Irimescu, Romania respected the welfare rules set by the European Union, but Irimescu said that the ban on transporting live animals would be a great economic loss for Romania. Animal transport was also discussed during the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 15/07/2019. According to most EU Member State ministers, the transport of live animals should be banned if outside temperatures exceed 30 °C, some Member States (such as NL) have already introduced strict national rules for the transport of animals during the summer months. NL representatives endorsed the adoption of harmonized rules at EU level to ban animal transport at temperatures above 30 °C across the EU. Denmark supported the limitation of transport time to 8 hours and called for the transport of meat, not live animals. But, according to Irimescu, animals in the southern countries are commonly used to temperatures in excess of 30 °C.
More information is available here.

The European Commission has proposed a ban on another type of neonicotinoid - thiacloprid - produced by Bayer Company. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), thiacloprid meets the criteria to prohibit the use of this substance (an evaluation available here), and more than 300,000 EU citizens have signed the thiacloprid ban. Member States should vote on the ban in October 2019.
More information is available here.

The trade agreement with the Mercosur countries, which the EU and Mercosur reached at the end of June 2019 after 20 years of negotiations, should not enter into force sooner than in two or three years, according to Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan. The EU Council and the Parliament must also comment on the proposal, but a number of Member States have already disagreed with the agreement. Ireland is the strongest opponent of the agreement so far, but during the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 15/07/2019, no member state supported the Mercosur agreement without reservations, FR, HR, HU, SI, BE, RO, PT and IT also came up with critical responses. Member States have asked the Commission to provide a detailed description of the agreement.
More information is available here and here.

On 15/07/2019, EU ministers of agriculture meet at the Council of Ministers, the first one under the Finnish Presidency. Ministers will be informed about the priorities of the Finnish Presidency for the next six months, with Finland particularly interested in climate and environmental issues, and the setting of rules for the transition period under the CAP. In this context, ministers will also be consulted on the future of the CAP post 2020. Furthermore, ministers will receive up-to-date information on the work of the High Level Group on Sugar and on the EU’s sugar market situation. As for other issues, ministers will discuss the current situation regarding African swine fever, animal welfare during transport (even in the context of high temperatures), plant protection products, and the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.
More information is available here.