In February, the European Commission launched a consultation on NBTs as part of a study it wants to finalise by April 2021. In France, the State Council through a decision, considers that NBTs should be subject to the same clauses as GMOs with regard to the application of the European directive regulating genetically modified organisms. […]

This first month of the year 2020 have recorded several statements about NBT’S. The new European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides said a proposal on the regulation of new plant breeding techniques (NBTs) could be included in the next “Farm to Fork” strategy. German Federal Minister for Agriculture Julia Klöckner (CDU) and MEP […]

In terms of wine news, the first month of the year 2020 has common element with the end of 2019, namely the tariff war between the USA and the EU. Representatives of the European and American wine trade association ou quoi? have issued a joint declaration calling for the complete elimination of customs duties affecting […]

-In its report unveiled on 5 December 2019, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) found that although EU agricultural risk management measures have partially achieved their objectives, implementation has been weak and there have been cases of overcompensation. The title summarises its conclusion: “Stabilising farmers’ incomes: a comprehensive set of tools, but low use of […]

  Last weeks were notably marked by: In the Member States, a coalition was formed to secure the current levels of the Cohesion Fund in the next MFF. Within the Council, (i) the Finnish Presidency revealed the figures in the MFF negotiating box, which were deemed “worrying” by the President of the European Commission and “insufficient” by […]

Last weeks were marked as follows: – At EU Council level, delegations (i) broadly approved the idea of a common % for both CAP pillars for expenditure on climate and environmental measures, while refusing for the time being to determine amounts (ii) considered at the end of the Finnish Presidency that much remained to be […]

Highlights of  first Agri-Fish Council under the Croatian Presidency. 1/ Prior to the presentation of the new Presidency’s priorities, the Council adopted the European Parliament’s position (PE 1195/19) on financial discipline from 2021 and flexibility between pillars for the year 2020. The regulation is aimed at ensuring the continuity of payments for farmers in 2020. […]

In a nutshell: -Views over the progress report on the Post-2020 CAP reform package —>  At the opening of this last round of Council meetings under the Finnish Presidency, the Finnish Minister specified that this progress report on the reform was neither an exhaustive inventory of the positions expressed nor even the Council’s position for future […]

In November 2019, the European Council took a formal decision inviting the Commission “to submit, by 30 April 2021 at the latest, a study in the light of the judgment of the Court of Justice[…] concerning the status of new genomic techniques in Union law” and also, if necessary, a proposal on NBT’s. The said […]

The last few weeks have been marked by American sanctions that have particularly affected European wine trade. After an initial wave of surcharges, the US Bureau of Commerce announced its intention to tax European sparkling wine. World wine production, according to the OIV, is down from 294 million hectolitres to 263 million hectolitres in 2019. […]