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During the EP’s Plenary Session of 12/03/2019, MEPs endorsed a directive on unfair trading practices in the agri-food chain, based on the previous agreement between the EP and the Council of 19/12/2018, and formal adoption of the directive by the EP Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Rural Development of 23/01/2019. 589 MEPs voted for the directive, 72 against, 9 abstained. The directive will protect all suppliers with a total turnover of less than EUR 350 million, providing a list of 10 wholly prohibited unfair trading practices.
According to organizations representing the agri-food chain in the EU, the approval of the directive will improve trading conditions for 11 million farmers and 293,000 producers in Europe. Member States now have 1 year to incorporate the directive into national legislation.
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The EC’s Committee on the Common Organization of Agricultural Markets should approve the national allocations under the Milk and Fruit Schemes for 2019/2020 for a total of EUR 250 million during March. Approximately EUR 145 million goes on fruit and vegetable consumption, EUR 105 million on milk and milk consumption. A total of EUR 5.8 million has been earmarked for the Czech Republic, of which EUR 3.97 million for fruit and vegetables, and EUR 1.83 million for milk and milk products. The largest financial support was allocated to DE, IT, FR and PL. Fresh local food should be especially promoted under these programs, while support should not be given to food with added sweeteners or artificial flavours. Food containing added fruit, nuts or cocoa can be promoted, but the EU will only fund the milk component of the product (milk, cream, curd, etc.)

Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic Miroslav Toman will meet with PL Minister of Agriculture Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski and Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis in a trialogue in Brussels on 18/03/2019. The objective of the meeting taking place at the margin of the Council of Agriculture Ministers is to find a compromise solution for the introduction of extraordinary controls on imported beef from PL to the Czech Republic. Commissioner Andriukaitis called on the Czech Republic to remove the extraordinary checks, which the Minister of the Czech Republic refused to do until the newly introduced measures in PL were evaluated. The EC does not agree with the inspections and within a review of the Czech Republic's request for the introduction of extraordinary veterinary checks across the food chain among beef producers in PL concluded that they are disproportionate and beyond EU legislation, measures distort the functioning of the EU single market, according to the EC. Poland is preparing an Action Plan that will focus on veterinary checks, the implementation of EC audit recommendations, or legislative changes to strengthen the surveillance of slaughterhouses and the safety of animal products.
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Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said that FR plans to increase the allowed limits for culling wolves, above the limit of 500 units. According to Macron, a very flexible approach needs to be taken, reflecting the real situation in each region. The Flemish part of Belgium is also planning to strengthen the protection of sheep farmers. According to Flemish Agriculture Minister Koen Van den Heuvel, financial compensation for losses caused by wolf attacks in this part of BE should be ensured, while the ministry seeks to identify measures to help farmers keep sheep herds safer.

On 12/03/2019, the EU Alcohol Industry Association stated that the responsibledrinking.eu website had been updated; it provides information on the content, ingredients and production process for 47 categories of alcoholic beverages. It is an initiative closely linked to the last year’s self-regulatory proposal of the alcohol industry to label nutritional values on the labels of alcoholic beverages. Producers of beer and spirits were not united in the original proposal as to whether nutritional values should be given per 100 ml or per portion. Updated websites now count on both versions. Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis confirmed the intention to include legislation in the legislative proposal for the CAP. The Alcohol Industry Association should submit revised draft legislation to the European Commission by mid-May 2019.