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The EU cannot afford to cut the funding of its farm policy if it is to continue ensuring delivery of public goods to EU citizens, the Agriculture Committee said. The opinion, adopted in the Agriculture Committee by 30 votes in favour to five against, with three abstentions, will be scrutinised by the Budgets Committee during its 5 November meeting before the non-legislative text goes to a plenary vote - most probably during the 12 - 15 November EP session in Strasbourg.

The report highlights that EU total cereal production for 2018 is expected to be at 284.3 mt, a decrease of 5% compared to 2017/18 and of 8% compared to the last five-year average. Wheat harvest has suffered the most from this summer’s dry conditions, leading to a decrease of 9% compared to 2017. EU sugar production should be lower than last year’s record levels, forecasted at 19.2 mt for 2018/19 compared with 21.1 mt for 2017/18. The full report, with in-depth analysis by market, is available here.

New draft rules to better protect farmers against buyers’ unfair trading practices were approved by the Agriculture Committee today (October 1). The text approved in the Agriculture Committee by 38 votes in favour to four votes against, with two abstentions, will now be submitted to the plenary to seek MEPs’ green light for negotiations with EU ministers.

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development will vote on the legislative report on unfair trading practices in the food supply chain, on 01.10.18 in Strasbourg. The objective of this proposed legislation is to provide agricultural producers the tools necessary to improve their bargaining position in the agricultural and food supply chain. This is to be done by introducing a prohibition at EU level of the most blatant cases of unfair practices in their relations with retailers.

Ministers have dealt in particular with the issues of unfair trade practices (UTPs), rural development programs, and the production of quality food. The Austrian Presidency has the ambition to conclude the UTPs agreement by the end of its Presidency (by the end of 2018). Most ministers of agriculture have supported the preservation of the strong II. pillars for rural development programs, and rejected the proposed budget cut. Press release