News

Serious concerns about the health impact of phosphates used as food additives were raised by Health Committee MEPs today (28 November). They objected to a Commission proposal to allow the use of phosphoric acid, di and tri phosphates and polyphosphates (E 338-452) in kebab meat - be it mutton, lamb, veal, beef or poultry. Parliament as a whole is to vote on it at its 11 to 14 December plenary session in Strasbourg. EFSA has said that it will re-evaluate the safety of phosphates food additives by 31 December 2018.

A much-awaited qualified majority of EU member states was reached today (27 November) for the re-authorisation of the world’s most commonly used weedkiller, glyphosate. 18 member states voted in favour, including Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania which previously abstained, while nine member states voted against and just Portugal abstained. The Commission will now adopt the decision before the current authorisation expires on 15 December, as provided for in the applicable EU legislation.

The update of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules, provisionally agreed by the Parliament’s and Council’s negotiators on 12 October and endorsed by the Council’s Special Committee on Agriculture on 15 November, was given a green light from the Parliament’s Agriculture Committee. The agreed text now needs to be confirmed by the Parliament as a whole, probably during its 11 - 14 December plenary session in Strasbourg, and the Council. It should enter into force as of beginning 2018. More information

MEPs gave the go-ahead to the new EU law on organic production and labelling, as agreed by Parliament’s negotiators and EU governments on 28 June and endorsed on Monday by the Council’s Special Committee on Agriculture. The agreed text still needs to be approved by the Parliament as a whole and the Council before it can enter into force. It shall apply from 1 January 2021. More information

EU member states agreed today (20 November) to a new set of rules for organic farming, simplifying the system and creating a level playing field for EU produce and imports. The European Parliament’s agriculture committee will vote on the rules on Wednesday. More information