Agrifood
UK clears lab-grown meat for pet food amid heated EU debate on food innovation
Est. 7minThe UK has become the first European country to authorise the sale of lab-grown meat, albeit for pet food rather than human consumption, following approval by the country’s regulators earlier this month.
Von der Leyen promises fair income for farmers in second term as Commission president
Est. 4minUrsula von der Leyen pledged to guarantee a fair income for European farmers in her address to the European Parliament on Thursday, dealing with one of the main demands emerging from the protests that swept across the EU in early 2024.
Economists warn no easy fix for low farm prices as EU launches agrifood observatory
Est. 5minThe newly established EU Agri-Food Chain Observatory, aimed at enhancing transparency in prices and the distribution of added value in the agri-food sector, held its inaugural meeting on 17 July.
Renew’s Valerie Hayer among big names in next Parliament’s agriculture committee
Est. 6minLiberal leader Valerie Hayer and socialist chief Iratxe Garcia Perez are among the big names set to join the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee (AGRI) for the new term, draft lists of several political groups seen by Euractiv show.
Brake on Green Deal and simpler rules: Agricultural ministers’ wish list for next term
Est. 4minExempting agriculture from net-zero climate plans, stronger support for farmers and the demand for simpler rules for national administrations are among the key requests emerging from a debate held in the Council on Monday (15 July).
MEP Pascal Canfin aims for pro-nature, pro-farmer cooperation with EPP
Est. 5minIn an interview with Euractiv, the outgoing chair of the European Parliament's Environment Committee (ENVI), Pascal Canfin, called on lawmakers from the centre-right European People's Party, who supported farmers' strikes, to embrace a more ecological approach.
EU ministers clash over Hungary’s stance on vegetarian, insect-based food
Est. 5minMinisters from agricultural powerhouses Spain and Germany spoke out against Hungary's stance on "novel foods" at the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) in Brussels on Monday (15 July).
Netting a better seal deal, balancing animal welfare with fishing rights
Est. 7minAnimal welfare groups are hoping EU legislation protecting seals is kept above board, while Baltic fishermen are trying to salvage political nets in their fight to ensure adequate fish hauls.
Holistic farm policies needed to keep focus on SDGs argues EESC’s Peter Schmidt
Est. 7minGovernments are shifting their priorities away from Sustainable Development Goals, but the EESC’s Peter Schmidt argues for a holistic approach, designing policies that can help farmers and citizens transition to a more sustainable way of producing and consuming.
Von der Leyen’s speech: The topics that burn
Est. 6minUrsula von der Leyen’s speech on Thursday at European Parliament will be crucial to ensure the majority she needs to be reelected as Commission president, but to convince all pro-EU coalition lawmakers, she will have to address some key EU policy issues.
EU backtracks on 2027 target for use of smartphones in farm controls
Est. 7minOn Thursday (11 July) the bloc dropped the target of making the use of photos taken by farmers with their smartphones mandatory by 2027, in a setback for ambitions to digitise Common Agricultural Policy checks on farmers.
The heavy toll of mines on Ukraine’s agriculture
Est. 5minIn Ukraine, the efforts by the government and international NGOs to clear mines are falling short of the urgent needs of farmers, who often do the work themselves.
Economic reasons not enough to allow wolf hunting, says EU Court of Justice
Est. 4minIn a ruling published on Thursday (11 June), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) upheld a request by NGOs for a ban on wolf hunting in Austria, authorised by derogation, at a time when EU Member States are struggling to agree on a common position on the issue.
Hungarian presidency launches offensive against ‘novel’ food to defend EU’s ‘culinary tradition’
Est. 3minAt Budapest's initiative, EU agriculture ministers will discuss on Monday (15 July) whether insects, plant-based foods or lab-grown meat could jeopardise Europe's culinary traditions.
HSI Europe Manifesto – Promoting and protecting animal welfare in Europe
In Europe, millions of citizens care about the protection of animals. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union explicitly recognises that animals are sentient beings and that the EU and Member States must pay full regard to their welfare requirements in policymaking.
EU’s food watchdog dismisses concerns over gene-edited crops proposal amid Council deadlock
Est. 4minThe EU’s food safety authority (EFSA) said that the Commission's criteria to relax rules on certain gene-edited foods are 'scientifically justified', while the Hungarian Council Presidency is pulling the brakes on the file.
European fisheries hope for closer EU-UK collaboration after Labour victory
Est. 4minThe Labour Party's victory in the UK general election has opened up the prospect of harmonisation and collaboration with the EU, according to Europe's fishing industry, although concerned about promises concerning bans in marine protected areas.
EU centre-right aims for agriculture Commissioner, says party’s farming policy chief
Est. 4minThe chair of the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee (AGRI) will go to the Conservatives, the current European People’s Party (EPP) coordinator for agriculture Herbert Dorfmann, told Euractiv, as they aim for the post of Commissioner for Agriculture.
Starmer vows to champion farming, but uncertainty remains over UK agriculture plans
Est. 5minThe UK's new centre-left government has pledged to champion British farming and prioritise food security, but questions linger over Labour’s plans for the country's post-Brexit farming policies.
‘Plan Bee’ innovation driving new generation of crop and seed protection
Est. 7minThe mighty bee is increasingly deployed as a key player in maintaining biodiversity through pollination. Bee vectoring technology is just one innovation boosting crop and seed protection, but many alternative pest control methods are getting stuck in research labs.
A far-right agriculture minister in France: Panic in the Agrifish Council?
Est. 7minOn Sunday evening, after the second round of legislative elections, France will have a new National Assembly. If the Rassemblement national and its right-wing allies win an absolute majority - which is unlikely but not impossible - it will be up to the probable new prime minister, Jordan Bardella, to propose a new minister of agriculture.
EU’s trade policy clashes with sustainability and food sovereignty ambitions, says farming group
Est. 4minThe EU should control agricultural prices and abandon free trade agreements (FTA) policy, included the long-stalled trade deal with Mercosur, a representative of the farming organisation European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC), told Euractiv in an interview.
EU retailers warn of market fragmentation amid calls to tackle food chain imbalances
Est. 5minThe EU should avoid ‘counterproductive’ measures when tackling farmers’ position in the supply chain and instead remove barriers to investment, Christel Delberghe, director general of retailers’ association EuroCommerce, told Euractiv.
Farmers’ position in food supply chain a top priority for new EU coalition
Est. 5minStrengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain is set to be a top priority for the three centrist political groups forming the new majority coalition at the European Parliament, according to draft documents on priorities for the next five years seen by Euractiv.