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The Directorate-General for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) published on 27/02/2023 a proposal for the voluntary digital labelling of fertilizers sold and produced in the European Union to better inform users and reduce costs. The same method is already used for some products containing chemicals, such as batteries, for others (detergents and cosmetics) this method is being considered. Fertilizer suppliers will be able to use digital labelling voluntarily, according to DG GROW, labelling can reduce costs by €57,000 per year for a large company and €4,500 per year for SMEs. The Commission's proposal will now be discussed by the EU Council and the European Parliament. It will enter into force two and a half years after its adoption.
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On 28/02/2023, the European Commission published a database with an overview of available Integrated Plant Protection (IPM) methods. Integrated pest management involves pest control using natural methods whenever possible, with the use of synthetic pesticides only as a last resort. The database contains approximately 1,300 examples of practices, techniques and technologies, including crop rotation, pest monitoring and examples of non-chemical controls. It also contains crop-specific guidelines developed by national authorities. The Commission is also carrying out a study, currently ongoing, which examines current IPM practices and their potential to contribute to reducing reliance on chemical pesticides, the costs of implementing these practices and their overall effectiveness.
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The European Commission and Great Britain presented the Windsor Agreement on 27/02/2023, which addresses the practical issues for residents and businesses in Northern Ireland arising from Britain's withdrawal from the EU. The agreement contains new measures in the area of customs, agricultural and food products, medicines, VAT and excise duties. The aim of the agreement is to simplify checks on British goods destined for final use in Northern Ireland, while maintaining the protection of the EU's single market. Agricultural and food products from the UK intended for the Northern Ireland market will thus be able to be transported with minimal requirements for certification and inspections.
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French President Macron opposed the resumption of negotiations on the agreement with Mercosur. He will not support the agreement unless it contains mirror clauses on the same environmental and hygiene measures that are valid in the Union. According to Macron, production from third countries must respect the same environmental, social and societal rules, goals of the Paris Agreement and the same hygiene restrictions as production in the EU. However, he did not specify how the clauses would be incorporated into the agreement. President Macron is therefore now opposing the resumption of negotiations.
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Food insecurity remains one of the pressing global issues, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In March 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced the highest world food prices in history. Fertilizer prices rose sharply in the EU, in September 2022 it was by 149% year-on-year. The reason was, among other things, a 70% drop in European ammonia production due to high energy prices. Despite the current promising trends, high food price inflation remains in many EU countries, in the eurozone in January 2023 inflation reached 14.1%. The Union has committed €8 billion between 2020 and 2024 to ensure global food security and will support the food systems of around 70 countries under the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027. To increase the resilience of EU agriculture to external influences, the Commission aims to reduce the EU's dependence on imports of critical inputs, fertilizers and plant proteins for animal feed.
More information is available here.