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On 22/03/2019, the European institutions reached a provisional agreement on the Consumer Package in the EP, EC and Council trilogue, which also applies to the issue of dual quality food in the EU single market. Among other things, a dual-quality clause, a dual-quality definition, and the inclusion of dual quality products on the list of unfair commercial practices were discussed. Negotiators have tentatively agreed to include the dual quality food practice in a list of so-called misleading practices, not in a list of so-called "black" - i.e., directly prohibited - unfair commercial practices (UCPs). The assessment of the occurrence of dual quality products will take place on a case-by-case basis; all differences between products of the same brand in different EU markets will have to be clearly declared on the product itself so that the consumer is informed of the difference at the time of purchase. Two years after the Directive comes into force, the European Commission will conduct a review to assess whether dual quality products should be included in the "black" UCPs. The provisional Agreement now needs to be approved by the Member States Permanent Representatives Committee and the EP Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, and then it will formally be approved by the European Parliament Plenum and the EU Council.
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Within the EP plenary session of 13/03/2019, the European Parliament rejected the adoption of a Regulation of the European Commission to increase the limit for residues of certain substances, including clothianidin, one of the banned neonicotinoids used among other things for growing potatoes. For countries that did not prohibit clothianidin (Canada, USA), this measure would mean that they would not be able to import clothianidin-treated potatoes to the EU, which would also have a major impact on the world market. According to the European Parliament, the adoption of the Commission’s proposal would increase the current maximum residue limit of clothianidin from 0.03 mg/kg to 0.3 mg/kg, without sufficient evidence to claim that unacceptable risks to animals, food safety and pollinators will be avoided. The Commission is currently considering how to react - one option is to revise the proposal, or to abandon it altogether. According to the European Commission’s spokesperson, the European Parliament's decision undermines the EU's scientific approach to food safety, as the Commission's action is based on a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientific survey.
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On 20/03/2019, the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament published a study entitled "Endocrine Disruptors: from Scientific Evidence to Human Health Protection", committee members will discuss the study on 02/04/2019 as part of the Committee meeting. The study presents scientific findings on the effects of endocrine disruptors on human health, provides the results of a review of scientific evidence regarding endocrine disruption, exposure scale, or related health effects. The study also recommends publishing documents identifying endocrine disruptors and introducing legislative requirements for manufacturers to test chemicals used in the manufacturing process for their effects on endocrine functions. The EP Petitions Committee is currently reviewing EU legislation on chemicals that interfere with hormonal balance. The evaluation should be completed in early 2020.
More information is available here.

Negotiations on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement took place between 11/03 and 15/03/2019 in Buenos Aires, but no significant progress was made. This time, the chief negotiators also met with the EU private sector and Mercosur representatives, representatives of civil society, and Argentine MPs. The European Union continues to seek a trade agreement including sensitive agricultural products (especially beef) before the EP elections at the end of May, but the likelihood of reaching an agreement by this deadline is relatively low. Yet both parties decided to meet again in May 2019 to reach an agreement on unresolved issues.

Member States unanimously agreed to make an EU-US agreement on a 35,000-tonne quota share for imports of hormone-untreated beef, totalling 45,000 tonnes for third countries. According to the planned agreement, the volume of imported meat should increase from the initial 18,500 tonnes to the final 35,000 tonnes during the first 7 years. The Commission will now consult the adjustment of the quota with other importers of hormone-untreated meat, including Australia, Uruguay, Argentina and New Zealand.