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The European Commission is preparing legislative proposals for the labelling of nutritional values on the front sides of food packaging. Although the Commission has yet to officially confirm what the new system will look like, it is expected that the system could be like the Nutri-Score system. Scientific researchers from the Universities of Leuven and Utrecht therefore focused on what impact the introduction of the Nutri-Score would have on traditional European foods. According to the results of the study, some traditional foods that are protected under the Protected Geographical Indications (GIs) regime have a worse Nutri-Score rating than comparable products without GIs. Although the differences between the individual product categories are generally small, according to the authors of the study, they are statistically significant enough that they could mean the difference between the designation C and D or D and E. However, traditional foods, such as Feta cheese or Parma ham, are produced in adherence to strict traditional recipes, which are not easy to reformulate. According to the authors, due to adherence to traditional recipes, these foods are less processed, do not fall into the category of highly processed foods, and do not contain a lot of additives. The authors remind that the Nutri-Score system does not consider the degree of food processing. Although the effects of consuming highly processed foods on human health have not yet been sufficiently assessed, some countries, such as France, have urged citizens to limit their consumption of highly processed foods.
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The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed on Russia led to the fact that a trade war also began to be waged to secure enough fertilizers. The European Union is looking for alternative suppliers, but the negotiations are not easy. Europe imports almost 40% of gas, which is the main raw material to produce fertilizers, from Russia. 60% of imported fertilizers come from Belarus and Russia. The industry is trying to reduce its dependence on Russia, but it is a long and slow process. One of the possible alternative suppliers could be Morocco, from where 40% of European phosphate imports are already provided. The lack of fertilizers is not only a problem for the EU, but also for a large part of Africa, which was also dependent on imports from sanctioned countries, but now due to European sanctions, imports are also limited to these countries. European fertilizer producers have already experienced problems due to record high natural gas prices. The second largest European producer of nitrogen fertilizers, Grupa Azoty, has already announced a temporary halt in production. The world's largest fertilizer producer, Yara, will reduce its ammonia production by around 35%, which will lead to a 50% reduction in the production of urea and ammonia-based nitrogen fertilizers. The largest UK plant, CF Fertilizers, will also temporarily stop fertilizer production.
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On 22/07/2022, the European Commission announced its intention to extend exemptions from the application of certain environmental requirements of the CAP also for the year 2023 with the aim of maximizing the capacity of cereal production in the EU. The proposal to extend the exemption was formally approved by the representatives of the Member States and accepted by written procedure on 27/07/2022. Exceptions concern the rules for crop rotation, the use of fallow land and maintenance of non-productive elements on arable land (GAEC 7 and 8). Thanks to these steps, an additional 1.5 million hectares of land should return to production compared to the current situation, but the actual number will depend on the decisions of the Member States - they can decide not to use the exemption.
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Last week, the European Commission presented a list of key indicators to monitor progress in achieving the EU's environmental and climate goals under the European Green Deal. The indicators belong to the eighth action program for the environment, which was adopted at the beginning of May 2022. According to the statement of the European Commission, EU policies must ensure that the Union aims to live and work within the limits of the possibilities of our planet. The indicators are therefore intended to monitor progress towards favourable environmental conditions, including economic and social aspects.
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Dutch farmers continue to protest against targets to reduce the use of fertilizers and limit the size of livestock herds introduced by the Dutch government in June 2022. Following the first wave of protests, an independent mediator Johan Remkes was appointed, who on 26/07/2022 invited agricultural organizations to discussion with the government about possible acceptable ways to reduce emissions. However, according to some farmers, Remkes is not independent, as he is a member of one of the coalition governments parties and a former deputy prime minister. The protests continued 27/07/2022 with another road blockade, in some cases farmers covered roads with manure and garbage and started fires. On 28/07/2022, representatives of Dutch farmers met with Polish government officials and agri-food organizations and called for a "European-wide movement against the Green Deal".
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