News

As of 21/02/2022, the German Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) has confirmed an increase in the total number of reported cases of African swine fever (ASF) in feral pigs to 3427. New cases have been reported mainly in Brandenburg and Saxony. The route of the fence in the Lower Odra National Park, used to protect against the spread of ASF, has been repeatedly criticized and the fence has been intentionally damaged. Therefore, the relocation of the protective fence route was approved.
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The European Commission plans to set up a reflection group of experts to monitor the situation and discuss the future of the EU's pig meat sector, which is currently facing a crisis caused by oversupply, trade restrictions and price stagnation. This was stated by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski during the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 21/02/2022. According to Wojciechowski, not all member states agree on what measures should be put in place to support the sector, a long-term strategy will be needed to help the sector regenerate. According to the Commissioner, most countries do not support the launch of private storage, some countries call for the creation of a crisis reserve, while others support measures to ensure greater market flexibility. According to Wojciechowski, piglet prices are rising slowly, but there are signs of improvement in the sector. The Commissioner also said that member states had not made use of a number of tools they already had at their disposal, including compensation for losses caused by African swine fever or measures to help producers come together and better plan production. According to the Commissioner, member states could also use national support or include measures in their CAP strategic plans.
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The European Commission plans to present a new legislative proposal on 23/03/2022, which should help the member states to stop the deterioration of nature by 2050. The European Commission will strive to restore all degraded habitats not only in Natura 2000 protected sites, but also in other areas. This means that countries will have to adopt national recovery plans for at least 30% of degraded habitats by 2030, 60% by 2040 and 90% by 2050. This applies to both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The European Commission estimates that restoring ecosystems such as peatlands, wetlands, forests and coastal wetlands will result in savings of up to €1.86 trillion, with an estimated €154 billion in restoration costs.

The European Commission published a Europe's Beating Cancer Plan on 03/02/2021, which states that the Commission will work to achieve a "tobacco-free future", reduce alcohol consumption, including the possibility of raising taxes on alcohol, and strengthen support for healthy and balanced diet, including a reduction in the consumption of red or processed meat. A Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) has been set up in the European Parliament to draw up an opinion on the Commission's plan. The BECA has strongly supported the Commission's goal of achieving a tobacco-free generation, which, according to the BECA, could be achieved, for example, by funding smoking cessation programs or by increasing the minimum excise duty on all tobacco products and their final market prices. In the case of alcohol consumption, the Committee called for consumer awareness to be improved by improving the labelling of alcoholic beverages to include health warnings and the introduction of mandatory ingredient and nutrition information. The BECA also called for the introduction of mandatory and harmonized nutrition labelling on the front of food packaging in the EU. The BECA opinion was voted on by the European Parliament's plenary on 15/02/2022, which adopted a European Parliament resolution on strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer.
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Poland has prepared a draft declaration, supported by ten other member states of the European Union, calling on the European Commission to continue to provide financial support for the promotion of the meat and wine sector under EU promotion programs. According to these countries, promotion policy can help increase the sustainability of the Union's food system, but first and foremost it aims to ensure the competitiveness of European agriculture. The European Commission is currently preparing a review of the promotion policy, the aim of which is to make sure that the money spent contributes to sustainable production and consumption. The proposal will be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers.
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