News

On 14/05/2019, the European Commission, taking into account the requirements of the Member States, adopted a decision to extend the period for lodging aid applications for farmers entitled to direct payments and for aid under the rural development program. The original deadline for applications was 15/05/2019; the Commission extended the deadline until 15/06/2019 in order to give farmers more flexibility. According to Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan, Member States that decide to use the extended deadline, must however ensure that all rules of sound financial management are respected.
More information is available here.

Together with WWF, the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) called on the European Commission in May 2019 to publish a study conducted by IEEP in November 2018 that has not been published by the European Commission ever since. The Commission initially stated that the study will be published by 21/06/2019, which was criticized by IEEP and WWF - both organizations demanded the publication as soon as possible in order to serve as a basis for the agriculture ministers' negotiations on the CAP. But the Commission postponed the deadline; the study should be published in July 2019.

EU Economy and Finance Ministers within the EU Council on Economic and Financial Affairs held in Brussels on 17/05/2019 did not adopt new rules on excise tax on beer with low alcohol content. On 25/05/2018, the European Commission proposed to apply a reduced rate of excise tax for alcoholic beverages, even for beer with alcohol content of up to 3.5% by volume (the limit was 2.8%). The Commission intended this step as an incentive for breweries to introduce new innovations and the creation of new products, which in turn should encourage consumers to prefer low alcoholic beverages and consequently reduce alcohol consumption overall. The EU Council will now continue negotiations at technical level with a view to reach an agreement in the EU Council as soon as possible.
More information is available here.

On 13/05/2019, the European Commission fined the Belgian-Brazilian brewing group AB InBev with EUR 200 million for reducing the sale of cheaper beer from the Netherlands in Belgium. AB InBev, the world’s largest brewing group, has been accused of abusing its dominant market position between 2009 and 2016 and has prevented the import of cheaper beer into the Belgian market.
More information is available here.

On 14/05/2019, The Agriculture Ministers at the EU Council called on the European Commission to introduce clearer rules for the approval of products developed with the use of new breeding techniques. Ministers discussed the proposal put forward by NL with the support of ES, SI, EE, IT, EL, PT and FI, and called on the EU institutions to put forward a further procedure that would take advantage of the position of the European Court of Justice (CJEU) of 25/07/2018. The position of the CJEU provides greater legal clarity on the legal status of food and feed developed using new breeding techniques. According to NL, Member States would benefit from a common and shared approach, while NL calls for the new European Commission to address the issue of adequacy of the European legislative framework for GMOs and, if possible, related legal instruments and principles.
More information is available here and here.