Fri 11 October 2024| View online Estimated reading time: 4-5 minutes |
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*In yesterday's newsletter, we wrote that Dietmar Vybiral was Austria’s health minister, but he is deputy head of food safety and consumer protection at the Austrian health ministry. We apologise to readers and the person concerned. |
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The gap in farm subsidies is still a bone of contention |
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National delegations in the Council's Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) will today (11 October) discuss the Hungarian Presidency's draft conclusions on the future CAP. The Hungarians are hoping to find a consensus among member states on the draft document so that it can be officially sealed at the next Agriculture Council in Luxembourg on 21-22 October.
However, there are still important disagreements on the text. EU diplomatic sources confirmed to Euractiv that the unequal distribution of CAP payments in different member states remains a point of contention for some delegations.
Farmers in the "newer" member states - Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltics - receive on average less support per hectare than their counterparts in Western Europe. The mechanism of external convergence aims to bring payments closer to the EU average level. Some newcomers have repeatedly pushed to accelerate the mechanism and close the gap in CAP inequality. Others, like Italy, see things differently.
Before the Hungarians, the Belgians were unable to secure unanimous approval for the Council's conclusions due to Romania's objections to the wording on the distribution of CAP support. |
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Schedule of Commissioner hearings is out |
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The Parliament’s Conference of Presidents (CoP), where the leaders of the different political groups meet, yesterday (10 October) set a date and time for the Commissioner hearings. Luxembourg’s Christophe Hansen will be the third candidate to be grilled by MEPs, in a late session on 4 November. |
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All of von der Leyen’s proposed commissioners-designate have been cleared by the Parliament’s legal affairs committee, a process that ended yesterday in a heated closed-door meeting that saw Green and Left lawmakers walk out. |
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Italy’s deputy PM speaks out in favour of EU-Mercosur deal |
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Italy’s Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani has voiced support for finalising the EU-Mercosur trade agreement in an interview with ANSA and CNN Brazil. Tajani expressed Italy's interest in concluding the agreement during the Italy-Brazil business forum in São Paulo this week, coinciding with EU-Mercosur negotiations on 7-9 October.
This endorsement comes days after the German chancellor called for a swift finalisation of the deal. If a deal is reached at the G20 in November, it could be provisionally implemented by securing the backing of the European Parliament and a qualified majority in the Council, requiring at least 15 member states representing 65% of the EU’s population.
However, Tajani acknowledged that the talks remain “very complicated,” as specific sectors often block the entire agreement. Chief among these is the EU’s farming industry, which remains the most vocal opponent, fearing increased competition from agricultural powerhouses like Argentina and Brazil. In Italy, Confagricultura, the country's oldest farmers' organisation, has opposed the deal in the past, warning it could harm domestic producers of citrus, fruits, rice, sugar, and poultry.
The European Commission declined to comment further on the latest round of negotiations. However, EU sources told Euractiv earlier this week that “despite significant progress,” more discussions are needed on “an additional instrument to address issues on deforestation and climate.” |
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Livestock sector outlines wish list for next term |
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The EU’s livestock sector feels sidelined in recent discussions on the bloc’s agricultural policies and is urging President Ursula von der Leyen to address the issue, as outlined in an open letter. “The absence of recognition for the wider livestock sector was echoed in the selection of organisations contributing to the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture,” the letter states. “This exclusion should not continue.”
The missive, signed by European Livestock Voice, COPA and COGECA, AVEC, Euro Foie Gras, FurEurope, and other associations, including the feed industry and meat traders, outlines a wish list for the upcoming vision for agriculture and food, due by May 2025. Responding to the strategic dialogue’s recommendation to shift towards more plant-based diets, the letter urges that dietary guidelines focus on essential nutrients. “We call on you to prevent generalised recommendations against foods of animal origin as this would diminish the importance of certain highly nutritious and healthy foods,” the letter continues.
To understand the diversity of dietary guidelines across the EU, this article by Sofia and Maria is worth reading. |
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Farmers to receive €120 million after adverse weather events |
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The EU executive yesterday (10 October) adopted an implementing regulation providing for emergency support worth €119,7 million from the CAP’s agricultural reserve to farmers in Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Italy and Romania. Earlier this year, the countries were hit by a range of climatic events including drought, violent storms, frosts and fluctuating temperatures.
According to the regulation, national authorities should distribute the funds by 30 April 2025. |
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Study finds neonicotinoids are harmful to birds, not only bees |
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New research by Wageningen University (WUR) and the NGO Vogelbescherming Nederland has found that not only pollinators but also birds are “severely affected” by EU-banned neonicotinoids. “The general consensus for many years was that birds suffered relatively little from their toxicity,” said WUR researcher Elke Molenaar, whose study found that affected birds experience lower survival rates and problems related to behaviour and reproduction.
Although the EU’s top court ruled against temporary derogations to the ban on neonicotinoids in 2023, member states have continued to grant emergency market authorisations for these and other restricted pesticides. Retrieve Sofia’s story for more details. |
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EP Fisheries committee to question Kadis on 6/11 |
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MEPs from the European Parliament's PECH Committee will question Commissioner-designate for Fisheries and Oceans Kosta Kadis on Wednesday 6 November (14.30-17.30). The questions will focus on the balance between sustainable management of resources, respect for the environment and the profitability of the sector.
The possible reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the fate of small-scale fishermen, aquaculture, fair competition with third countries - the UK, Norway - and the fight against illegal fishing (IUU) will also be raised by MEPs.
MEPs will also ask for details of the Maritime Pact promised by Ursula von der Leyen last July. The ENVI committee, as an invited committee, will ask the Commissioner for guarantees on the protection of marine protected areas (MPAs) and on the EU's 'precautionary approach' to deep-sea mining. |
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Prague – EU green laws will drive up prices, warns Czech food industry The directive on corporate sustainability reporting, the EU’s food waste reduction targets and the implementation of the packaging regulation are a "tsunami of questionable green measures" that will increase food costs for producers and food prices for consumers next year, the Czech food industry warned. Our Euractiv.cz reporter Aneta will have more details in the morning.
Warsaw – Agriculture Ministry unveils aid package for farmers affected by floods Following a series of meetings with farming organisations, Polish Agriculture Minister Czesław Siekierski said yesterday (10 October) that, from next week, the government will start accepting applications for aid from farmers affected by last month’s floods. The minister said that the aid rate will go from PLN 4,000 to 5,000 (€930 to 1160) per hectare.
Paris – Former AGRI MEP Sander out of the ministry cabinet According to La Lettre, the candidature of former AGRI MEP Anne Sander (EPP) for a post as adviser on European affairs in the cabinet of Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard was rejected because she was considered "too close" to France's main farmers' union, the FNSEA. Sander's brother Franck is president of the Confédération générale des planteurs de betteraves - a branch of the FNSEA - and the union's representative in Brussels as vice-president of Copa (the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations). |
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Today’s brief was brought to you by Euractiv’s Agrifood team |
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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 [email protected]. |
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