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On 05/04/2023, the European Commission launched a new online tool to monitor the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy objectives. It should allow EU Member States' citizens to monitor their country's progress in meeting CAP objectives, but it also aims to contribute to the ambitions of the European Green Deal. The launch of the monitoring tool is in line with the European Commission's requirements to strengthen transparency and monitoring. The tool provides an overview of the objectives that each Member State has set at national level in its national CAP strategic plan, but also of the objectives that are valid at EU level. According to the Commission, the decisions of individual Member States on how to proceed in meeting their CAP objectives need to be seen in the context of the different starting points, the specific problems to be addressed in each country, the structure of agriculture, environmental issues and regulatory requirements. If necessary, countries may update their CAP strategic plans over time, in which case the online dashboard will also be adapted accordingly.
More information is available here and here.

Think-tank Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe) published a report last week focusing on the retail market for vegetable imitations of animal products in Europe. The report was based on data from 13 European countries (AT, BG, DK, ES, FR, DE, IT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SE, UK). According to the results of GFI, sales of vegetable imitations of animal products increased by a total of 22% from 2020. The largest share of sales is made up of imitation dairy products and imitation meat. The most vegetable imitations are sold in Germany, the largest expenditure per capita for animal food imitations is currently in the Netherlands.
More information is available here.

Last week, the Council and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement on strengthening the Renewable Energy Directive. The agreement will increase the EU's binding renewable energy target for 2030 from the current 32% to at least 42.5%, with an additional indicative increase of 2.5% to reach up to 45% and almost double the current share of renewable energy in the EU. The agreement also introduces a binding target of 42% share of renewable hydrogen in total industrial hydrogen consumption by 2030 and strengthens the regulatory framework for the use of renewable energy in transport (14.5% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity, 29% share of renewable energy in final energy consumption). This includes a combined sub-target of 5.5% for advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin. The agreement is preliminary and will now be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council.
More information is available here and here.

On 28/03/2023, the European Food Safety Authority issued a warning regarding nitrosamines in food. Nitrosamines are substances formed under certain conditions from nitrites and proteins, or from secondary amines (amino acids, biogenic amines, certain flavourings, etc.), which are natural components of food. However, consumer exposure to nitrosamines is a health concern according to EFSA, with ten different nitrosamines evaluated by EFSA as carcinogenic and genotoxic (NDMA, NMEA, NDEA, NDPA, NDBA, NMA, NSAR, NMOR, NPIP, NPYR). The largest product group contributing to nitrosamine exposure according to EFSA is meat and meat products. Nitrosamines have also been found in processed fish, cocoa, beer and other alcoholic beverages. However, their presence in processed vegetables, cereals, milk and dairy products or fermented, pickled and spicy foods cannot be excluded. EFSA's opinion will now be forwarded to the European Commission, which will discuss with Member States how to proceed and whether to take risk management measures.
More information is available here and here.

On 29/03/2023, the European Food Safety Authority issued an opinion on the welfare of calves on farms. Calves should be housed in small groups of two to seven animals for at least the first six weeks of life and individual housing should not be encouraged to improve their welfare. According to EFSA, calves also need sufficient space for rest and play, access to comfortable bedding and, from two weeks of age, long-fibre feed such as hay. The amount of long-fibre feed should be gradually increased to ensure the animal's need for rumination is met. From two to eight weeks of age, calves should receive a total of 11 kg of non-detergent fibre (NDF), 65 kg between 9 and 18 weeks and 90 kg of NDF between 18 and 25 weeks. The calves should be with their mother for at least one day, but EFSA recommends considering longer contact between the calf and its mother, which EFSA recommends contributes to better welfare of both animals. EFSA's opinion will be used by the European Commission in the preparation of the revision of the animal welfare rules, which is expected to be presented by the Commission in September 2023. EFSA is currently preparing the remaining opinions (11 in total), namely on the welfare of dairy cattle and quail, geese and ducks. Their publication is scheduled for 23/05/2023.
More information is available here.