News

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls for harmonization of rules for endocrine disruptors and for a coherent, consistent and comprehensive strategy based on scientific knowledge of endocrine disruptors. At the same time, the EESC believes that an action plan setting out clear objectives and deadlines for their implementation should be introduced. According to the EESC, the current legislation is too fragmented and insufficiently coordinated, so in the case of endocrine disruptors, the legislation needs to be unified and the precautionary principle to be followed.

A group of twelve third countries, including the US, Turkey and Brazil, disagreed at the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting on sanitary and phytosanitary issues with food import restrictions imposed in the EU. These countries see as the biggest problem the recent ban on chlorothalonil, a pesticide used to kill bacteria in cereals (e.g. barley and wheat). Third countries argue that the European Commission has taken action without a completed and comprehensive risk assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The European Commission has stated that the restriction is based on concerns about consumer health and the high risk of consequences of the use of the substance for fish and amphibians in the nature.
EFSA report on chlorothalonil is available here.

On 27/03/2019, the European Parliament approved legislation on permitted levels of cadmium in phosphate fertilizers. The cadmium limit was approved at 60 mg/kg; the regulation should come into force 3 years after the introduction of new EU fertilizer laws. Fertilizers Europe, the organization of fertilizers producers, welcomed the European Parliament's decision. According to Fertilizers Europe, this is the best possible compromise on environmental, health and economic requirements, although it will be a challenge for European industry to reach this limit. 582 MEPs supported new legislation, 38 voted against, 7 abstained.

The European Commission has introduced anti-dumping duties on liquid nitrogen fertilizers originating in Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, and the US, with effect from 20/03/2019. The duty rate is 39.3%, or 31.9% for Russia (depending on the particular company), 16.3% for Trinidad and Tobago, and 22.6% for the US. The Commission states that the percentage is the equivalent to "injury margin" that the EU industry faces due to the import of nitrogen fertilizers from these countries. Copa&Cogeca, Europe's largest agricultural organization, opposed the imposition of anti-dumping duties claiming that the introduction of such duties would mostly affect individual farmers using these fertilizers. According to Copa&Cogeca, spending in the five-year period would increase by up to EUR 2 billion.

EU poultry and poultry traders' association (AVEC) called on the European Commission to introduce stricter controls on poultry meat products imported from Ukraine in a statement of 26/03/2019. In its statement, AVEC states that Ukraine was offered a tariff quota of 50,000 tonnes for poultry meat, which allows a limited tax-free import of meat. According to AVEC, Ukrainian companies are circumventing the provisions of this agreement and acting in violation of it. AVEC called on the EC to prevent similar situations from recurring in future fair trade agreements and to introduce stricter controls on imports of poultry meat from Ukraine. It also points out the consumer's right to information and asks for indication on a product whether it was manufactured in the EU or outside the EU, including the name of the third country producer on the product label.