News




The European Commission adopted new rules to protect citizens from chemical substances that could have a negative effect on the immune system or cholesterol; The new rules limit, among other things, perfluoroalkylated PFAS substances

On 09/11/2022, the European Commission adopted new rules to protect citizens from chemical substances that can have a negative effect on the immune system, the development of foetuses and children or cholesterol. The new rules limit the amount of four environmental chemicals, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in food. These four chemicals - perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) - are also known as "forever chemicals" because their chemical composition does not allow them to break down. Member States unanimously supported the new rules, which are based on a thorough scientific assessment by EFSA. The new rules will apply from 01/01/2023.
More information is available here and here.

The Food and Agriculture Organization warns of reduced grain and rice production due to fertilizer shortages; world food prices were almost unchanged in November

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN FAO) has published the development of world food prices, which were almost unchanged in November 2022 compared to October 2022. Prices are now just 0.3% higher than the same period in 2021. Cereal prices are still 6.3% higher than the same period a year ago, although they fell slightly in November. Rice supplies may be problematic in 2023 due to possible fertilizer shortages. Rice prices rose another 2.3% in November. According to the FAO Crop Prospects & Food Situation report, world crop production has decreased by 2% compared to 2021. The UN has warned of a possible loss of 66 million tonnes of staple crop production next year if fertilizer shortages are not addressed. According to the UN, fertilizer prices have increased by 250% since 2019.
More information is available here, here and here.

The European Commission presented the second package of legislative proposals for the circular economy, legislative proposals for packaging materials and bioplastics were published, and rules for the certification of carbon agriculture were also presented

On 30/11/2022, the European Commission presented another package of legislative proposals, part of which falls under the circular economy action plan. It is a policy framework for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics and a revision of the directive on packaging and packaging waste to strengthen the basic requirements for packaging and to set measures and targets for the prevention of packaging waste at EU level. As part of this package, a legislative proposal was also supposed to be presented on the presentation of environmental (green) claims on food, but this proposal was postponed for the time being. Proposals to revise legislation on chemical substances, to reduce the release of microplastics into the environment and to support the right to repair were also postponed. Furthermore, on 30/11/2022, the European Commission presented a long-awaited legislative proposal regarding the rules for the certification of carbon removals.

The European Commission has indefinitely postponed the submission of a draft revision of the rules for providing information to consumers, which also includes nutrition labelling on the front of food packaging, and the revision of the rules for green claims has also been postponed

In the Farm to Fork strategy of May 2020, the European Commission announced its intention to submit a draft revision of European Regulation 1169/2011 on information provided to consumers by the end of 2022. Among other things, the rules for labelling the country of origin, for labelling the use-by date, and for labelling nutritional values on the front of the package were to be revised. A proposal for the introduction of nutritional profiles in the EU should also have been part of the proposal. The Commission already stated at the beginning of the summer months that there would be a delay in the planned submission of the draft revision, probably from the end of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023. During the autumn of 2022, it seemed that the submission of the revision would probably take place in the second half of 2023. Commissioner for health and food safety Stella Kyriakides stated on 30/11/2022 in her speech to the members of the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety that the Commission is postponing the submission of the revision proposal indefinitely. The reason should be the excessive complexity of the issue.
More information is available here.

The European Commission plans to submit a legislative proposal to ban the export of pesticides banned in the European Union by the end of 2023

According to information from the European media, the European Commission plans to submit a legislative proposal by the end of 2023, which should prohibit the export of pesticides that are already prohibited for use in the European Union. Although the use of some pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, is banned in the EU, their production for export to third countries is still allowed. Commodities or foodstuffs containing residues of banned pesticides produced in the EU, which were used for production in third countries, can thus enter the Union. However, pesticide producers, including the European organization CropLife Europe, do not agree with the Commission's plan. According to CropLife Europe, pesticides banned in the EU are exported to third countries for good reasons, for example to protect crops from diseases that do not occur in the European Union.