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On 19/04/2022, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a scientific opinion on the European Commission's plan for front-of-pack labelling. According to EFSA, energy intake, saturated fat, sodium and added and free sugars in Europe are too high, so the reduction should help combat chronic diseases associated with unhealthy diets. EFSA's opinion was requested by the European Commission, which should now draw up a proposal for the introduction of nutrient profiling as part of the revision of existing food information legislation for consumers. The European Commission's proposal on nutrient profiling should be published probably at the end of 2022 or at the turn of 2022/2023.
More information is available here.

The EP Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) voted on 20/04/2022 on its own opinion on the Amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and repealing Council Directive (EU) 2015/652 (REDIII). The rapporteur in the COMAGRI for opinion was Italian MEP Pina Picierno (S&D). The opinion was adopted by 35 votes to 9, with 4 abstentions.

On 13/04/2022, the European Commission proposed a legislative amendment to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014–20 (EMFF), which would allow for additional crisis measures to support the EU fishery and aquaculture sectors in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This is the second package of crisis measures, the first package was adopted under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) on 25 March. It comprises financial compensation for additional costs, for income forgone and for the storage of products, as well as for the temporary cessation of fishing activities where they are currently unsafe. The package includes financial compensation for the temporary cessation of fishing activities (if Russia's military aggression threatens the safety of fishing measures; it is not subject to the ceiling and maximum duration set for other cases of temporary cessation of activities); financial compensation to producer organisations which store fishery or aquaculture products in accordance with the storage mechanism; and financial compensation to operators of the fishery and aquaculture sector for their income forgone, and for additional costs they incurred due to the market disruption. The legislative proposal will now have to be discussed by the EU Council and the European Parliament.
More information is available here.

The European Commission could sue Hungary over its grain export controls in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. In March, Hungary introduced restrictions on grain exports in the context of the ongoing armed conflict, to preserve domestic food supplies, especially in view of the need to ensure sufficient livestock feed. As a result of the new measure, any company planning to export crops, including wheat, corn, or sunflower, must now inform the Hungarian Food Safety Authority, and the government will then decide whether to exercise the legal right to buy food and prevent it from being exported from the country. The government should decide whether exports threaten national food stocks. However, according to the European Commission, the Hungarian measure is a practical export ban and therefore contrary to EU single market rules; The Commission is therefore considering an action. Hungary opposes, according to a spokesman for the Hungarian government, this is only a temporary notification obligation for grain exporters, the measures should expire in mid-May 2022. In addition, according to a spokesman for the Hungarian government, the government has not yet exercised the new powers.

The United Nations (UN) has negotiated with representatives of the French government on possible measures to help prevent the risk of further world hunger in connection with the war in Ukraine. Representatives of the UN supported the French initiative FARM (Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission), which was supported by representatives of other EU Member States and G7 countries last month. The FARM initiative is based on three pillars: maintaining the free movement of world agricultural trade, growing more food in rich countries, and massively investing in sustainable agriculture in hunger-stricken countries. According to France, the FARM initiative should be officially launched by the end of June 2022, so France is seeking support not only from its international partners and EU Member States, but also from the European Commission.