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Fri 8 November 2024| View online Estimated reading time: 4-5 minutes |
| Hello
Welcome to your daily Agrifood Pro Briefing. Today, we bring you a fresh batch of news on trade (from EUDR to Mercosur and Ukraine), the stalemate on forest reproductive material and some Strategic Dialogue demands that could soon be met.
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The Agrifood Brief is taking a break on Monday 11/11, we’ll be back on Tuesday 12/11. |
| | | MEPs question Várhelyi on mandatory food labelling |
| Yesterday, MEPs sent a new set of written questions to Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi, after he failed to convince them to back him in a hearing on 6 November. Among the four questions, seen by Euractiv, is one on food labelling, which is expected to be part of Várhelyi's portfolio. In particular, MEPs ask how the commissioner-designate can bring together the wide variety of national voluntary labelling schemes on nutritional information and food origin "into a single, clear framework", an "EU-wide comprehensive mandatory food labelling and traceability system". MEPs will examine the written answers on Monday to decide on Várhelyi's future, which is now a political case, as Thomas reports.
It has been an intense (euphemism) first week of hearings. To help you keep track of the hearings relevant to the agri-food bubble, we have compiled the following table. |
|  | | | Can the EPP muster enough support to reopen the EU's anti-deforestation rules? |
| Far-right parties, including the Patriots of Europe and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), remain unclear on whether to support the EPP's efforts to reopen the EU's anti-deforestation rules (EUDR).
In yesterday's Agrifood Pro Brief, we told you that the EPP had tabled amendments – read them here - to change key elements of the legislation. “The EPP group is convinced that an updated law can be agreed upon before Christmas,” reads a press release sent on Thursday (7 November) evening.
However, when contacted by Euractiv, sources in the Patriots for Europe group said the matter was "sensitive" and that a decision hadn't yet been taken. The ECR could not confirm to Euractiv whether it would support the EPP's stance, although some members have in the past stressed that the Commission's proposal to extend the transitional period by 12 months is not enough to make the rules work on the ground - read more here.
During his hearing, the EU's next climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra – part of the EPP family - also stressed the need to guarantee "predictability" for businesses. "Yesterday we had companies telling us to stay the course on deforestation," Hoekstra said. "Once they set things in motion (...) it is crucial that we stay the course," he added. |
| Farmers in Brussels on 13 November against EU-Mercosur deal |
| Dozens of tractors will gather in Brussels on Wednesday 13 November, starting at 11:00 in the European district, to demonstrate against the agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay), the Walloon farmers' union FUGEA announced yesterday. The European Coordination Via Campesina will join the rally. The French union FNSEA has also announced demonstrations in France, starting on 15 November.
In a statement yesterday (7 November), Copa-Cogeca and other agri-food organisations also called on the EU to reject the agreement, especially after the suspension of the import of Brazilian beef from female cattle due to inadequate controls. The organisations fear that the Commission could finalise the talks at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro on 18-19 November. |
| Ukrainian agri minister expectations |
| Taras Vysotskyi, Ukraine’s deputy agriculture minister, said yesterday (7 November) that future talks on permanent trade liberalisation between the EU and Kyiv should deal with the most “sensitive” products in a progressive manner.
Speaking at an online discussion organised by the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), Vysotskyi suggested that, after the current Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) expire next June, Brussels should annually increase quotas on key commodities until Ukraine joins the bloc.
In recent months, Brussels has reimposed quotas on the most sensitive Ukrainian imports – oats, honey, sugar, and eggs - after they exceed the limits set. Poultry imports are currently at 90% of the threshold. EU poultry farmer representatives participating in the discussion reiterated their concerns about Kyiv having a competitive advantage due to lower production standards, notably animal welfare rules. |
| | | EIB rolls out 'largest-ever' programme for agriculture |
| The European Investment Bank (EIB) has proposed an initiative worth €3 billion to boost investment in green and digital solutions and support young farmers.
The "Pan-European Agricultural Programme", a lending envelope designed for intermediaries, is the EIB's "largest initiative" in the sector, the Bank said in a press release. It "will prioritise" young farmers and investments in sustainability, as recommended in the conclusions of the Strategic Dialogue. EIB has earmarked a further €465 million for other initiatives to support agriculture in Spain and Kazakhstan, and sustainable forestry in Côte d'Ivoire. |
| Commission welcomes sustainability benchmarking, Hansen wants EBAF |
| Representatives of young and organic farmers, as well as the food processing and retail industries, yesterday (7 November) presented their ideas for an EU-wide sustainability benchmarking scheme for agriculture to DG Agri officials, who welcomed the proposal. The framework would aim to harmonise methodologies for assessing on-farm sustainability and was first proposed in the conclusions of the Strategic Dialogue.
Eric Gall, deputy director of IFOAM Organics, said EU officials were "more than open" to setting up such a scheme, which would build on existing certification schemes and await political guidance from future Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen.
On the same day, stakeholders also exchanged views with the Commission on the Dialogue’s proposal for a European Observatory for Agricultural Land.
In his confirmation hearing on Monday (4 November), Hansen said he would act on another of the Strategic Dialogue recommendations: a permanent forum to discuss policy developments. He said that he would convene the proposed European Board of Agriculture and Food (EBAF) “soon” after taking office. |
| | | EU countries fail to break deadlock on forest reproductive material |
| EU ambassadors failed to reach the necessary majority to break the deadlock on new rules for Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) during a Coreper I meeting on Wednesday (6 November), according to Hungarian Presidency sources.
Background: The Hungarian Presidency has proposed to include forest reproductive material (FRM) in the scope of the Official Controls Regulation (OCR), but some EU countries are wary of this move as it could mean increased costs and administrative burdens for member states.
Two EU diplomats confirmed to Euractiv that more than nine member states, including Spain, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Bulgaria, did not support the Hungarian proposal.
The Hungarian Presidency is currently considering the next steps, taking into account member states' reservations. However, Budapest's goal of adopting a common position on the file before the end of its presidency in December now appears to be out of reach. |
| | | Berlin - Özdemir to keep agriculture and take charge of research Following the government crisis in Germany, the current Minister of Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, announced yesterday that he will also be in charge of education and research until the elections, which are currently scheduled for spring. "After consultation with the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has asked me to take over the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research until the new elections," the Green politician said in a statement. “I will continue my office as Minister of Agriculture,” he added.
Madrid – Valencian farmers' unions estimate flood damage at 816 million euros The Valencian farmers' union, Unió Llauradora i Ramadera, has made an initial estimate of the damage caused to the agricultural sector by last week's devastating floods, which it says will amount to almost 816 million euros, Efeagro reported. The crops most affected are citrus, persimmon and vegetables, nurseries and ornamental plants and to a lesser extent vineyards, where losses could exceed 300 million euros. Other crops, such as almond trees, have already been harvested and others, such as cereals and other herbaceous crops, have not yet been sown, according to the agricultural organisation.
Vilnius - Ministry encourages producers to increase GI applications At a seminar on Lithuanian food and drink products protected by the EU's Geographical Indication (GI) scheme - including the PDO, PGI and STG food quality logos - the Ministry of Agriculture encouraged producers to increase the number of national products recognised as GIs. “We produce far more quality products worthy of recognition by the European Union than we have registered," Deputy Minister Vytenis Tomkus told the companies attending the meeting. Lithuania has ten food products and seven alcoholic beverages on the EU GIs register, "more than neighbouring Latvia and Estonia, but farless than Poland," Tomkus added.
Athens - The government towards clampdown on fisheries control In a speech on the upgrading of the Integrated Monitoring System (IMS) for fishing activities, the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, pledged to "strengthen controls and inspections so that fishing activities are carried out with absolute respect for fish stocks and the environment". Greece was the first EU country to ban bottom fishing in its marine protected areas. |
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| | | Today’s briefing was prepared by the Agrifood team; Angelo Di Mambro, Maria Simon Arboleas, Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro, and Hugo Struna. Share your feedback or information with us at digital@euractiv.com. |
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