News

The European Commission stands ready to insert a clause referring to biodiversity in the glyphosate renewal proposal if it is requested by member states, a Commission Spokesperson told EURACTIV.com on Monday (18 September). Read the original article here.

On 15 September 2017, the Chinese Minister of Commerce issued its final decision to extend for another 5 years the anti-subsidy duties ranging from 7.5% to 12.4% on exports of EU potato starch to China. The initial case was launched in 2010, with the decision to apply countervailing duties until mid-September 2016. The justification for the anti-subsidy duties at the time was the EU potato starch support scheme. On 1 July 2012, the EU quota system in relation to the production of potato starch came to an end. Despite this significant policy change, the Chinese Minister of Commerce has still decided to prolong the duty.

On Wednesday (13 September) MEPs approved new rules accounting for the “negative emissions” from forestry as part of the EU’s 2030 climate change policy, which scientists warn risks creating incentives to burn cheap biomass. Press release on the plenary vote is available here.

Despite industry’s desperate efforts to deny the impact of biofuels on food prices, a new study shows there is wide scientific consensus that biofuels policies increase global food prices. The analysis, conducted by consultancy Cerulogy for BirdLife Europe & Central Asia and Transport & Environment, reviews over 100 economic modelling studies of the impact on food prices because of increased demand for biofuels made from food crops. The study is available here

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker gave his annual State of the European Union address at the European Parliament on Wednesday (September 13). He criticised double standards of food quality, saying that there should be no “second class consumers” in the single market. He also said there was a good chance that the EU would agree the main elements of a new free trade with the Mercosur countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and of an updated trade partnership with Mexico by the end of this year.