News

Over 60,000 tonnes of skimmed milk powder stocks were sold on 13 December in the biggest sale since public tenders began in December 2016. Approximately three quarters of skimmed milk powder bought into public stock have now been carefully returned to the market. The next deadline for submitting offers will be 8 January.

The EU institutions have found an agreement on new EU rules on fertilisers proposed by the Commission in 2016 as a key deliverable of the Circular Economy Package. The preliminary political agreement reached by the European Parliament, Council and Commission in so-called trialogue negotiations has today been confirmed by the Member States' representatives and is now subject to formal approval by the European Parliament and Council. The Regulation will then be directly applicable in all Member States and will become mandatory in 2022.

The Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Japan, approved with 474 votes to 152 with 40 abstentions, will remove almost all custom duties adding up to €1 billion annually for EU companies.

MEPs want the European Food Safety Agency to publish safety studies before a product is authorised to go on to the market. After the vote, rapporteur Renate Sommer (EPP, DE) stated that she cannot support the result of the vote and wants her name withdrawn from this file. Parliament will now enter into negotiations with EU Ministers for a first reading agreement.

Phil Hogan, commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, reiterated yesterday (December 4) the European Commission´s interest in strengthening support for young farmers within the CAP after 2020. In his opinion, there must be 2 % of the direct payment send to such kind of support, either to young farmers or to the support of genarational change in the agricultural sector. Read more