News

Palm oil is extensively used in food, cosmetics and biofuels, however the unsustainable production of the cheap vegetable oil leads to deforestation, loss of nature habitats and greenhouse gas emissions. MEPS vote on 4 April on a report by Czech GUE member K. Konečná calling on the European Commission to take measures to ensure among others the phasing out of palm oil in biofuels by 2020 and a single certification scheme for palm oil entering the EU market. Learn more.

The EU’s system of country-of-origin labelling (COOL), geographical indications (GIs) for agri-food products, and various sanitary and phytosanitary measures employed by the bloc have been named in a new report by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on what it views as barriers to trade. Report is available here.

The European Commission has adopted a proposal to reduce spending on support for farmers for the financial year 2018 in order to create a crisis reserve that can be used should the need arise. The proposal for 2018 aims to reduce CAP direct payments in excess of €2 000 by 1.388149%. Learn more.

Brazil needs independent controls over its meat industry, the EU’s Health Commissioner said yesterday (29 March), as he wrapped up a visit to the country rocked by an anti-corruption investigation focusing on bribery of its food-sanitation inspectors. Learn more.

n the six weeks since Commissioner Phil Hogan launched a wide-ranging consultation on modernising and simplifying the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP) on 2 February, more than 25,000 respondents have already taken the time to have their say on the future of food and farming in Europe. The consultation is open for a further six weeks until 2 May.