News

On 17/04/2019, the European Parliament's plenary will vote on the so-called Consumer Package, which includes a regulation on dual quality food and products. The Consumer Package proposal was approved by the Council, EP and EC Trialogue on 21/03/2019, and on 29/03/2019 by the Coreper I. According to initial information, there are currently six MEPs, including Olga Sehnalová (S&D, CZ), ready to submit an amendment before the vote on the directive, which should tighten the text of the legislation to dual food quality. In the amendment, MEPs aim to ensure that national consumer authorities do not assess on a case-by-case basis whether food is of dual quality and whether responsible companies are to be punished, asking for the introduction of a full dual quality ban.
More information is available here.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a public consultation on the recommended daily intake of sodium and chloride. These are the last two components for which EFSA is preparing a statement on a scientifically-based recommended intake. According to the recommendations of the New Food and Food Allergens Group, an adult should receive up to 2 g of sodium per day and up to 3.1 g of chloride. Both consultations are open until 22/05/2019.
Consultations are available here and here.

France has launched a special committee to look for possible ways to reduce the amount of pesticides used, which would enable to meet the national target to reduce the amount of used pesticides by half by 2025. The French Ministry of Agriculture also said it would launch a research program in June 2019. The French plan also includes the complete discarding of glyphosate, the world's most widespread herbicide, by the end of 2020. On 15/04/2019, France should be confirmed to be one of four European countries responsible for assessing glyphosate safety.
More information is available here.

President of Syngenta Company Jon Parr said on 09/04/2019 that current global farming systems are unsustainable, and the lack of trust in the food production system is likely to be irreversible. In 2013, Syngenta launched "The Good Growth Plan" to support rural communities and the environment, while Syngenta intends to strengthen its focus on climate change and water and soil pollution in the coming years. According to Parr, it will now be crucial to stop politicizing the issue of reducing the amount of pesticides used, and to really focus on protecting biodiversity and soil health.
More information is available here.

Representatives of the European Commission negotiated with Ukraine an amendment to the poultry meat import agreement to avoid abusing the current definition of chicken breast provided in the 2016 agreement. Ukrainian importers have legally imported to the EU chicken breasts with bone (not defined as chicken breasts), so they were not subjected to customs duties. The Commission increased Ukraine's quota for imports of chicken by 50,000 tonnes and said that if it had not been for the new agreement, Ukraine would have used the inadequate agreement of 2016 to increase imports anyway. However, some Members of the European Parliament disagree with the agreement, stating that the EU should not step back to such an extent. According to preliminary information, the issue of the Commission's agreement with Ukraine should be addressed in the European Parliament's plenary session on 15-18 / 04/2019.