The Commission has launched a public consultation to gather input for the review of EU farm animal welfare legislation. Farmers, citizens, businesses, national and regional authorities, NGOs and other interested parties are encouraged to share their views. The review of this legislation follows on from the mandate letter to Commissioner Várhelyi and takes place in […]
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EU Commission Launches Ocean Pact to Safeguard Marine Life and Boost the Blue Economy
The ocean shapes our economies, our food systems, even the air we breathe. To better protect our ocean, the Commission has adopted a European Ocean Pact, which will help to promote a thriving blue economy and support the well-being of people living in coastal areas. This Ocean Pact brings together EU ocean policies under one single […]
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Agreement on new EU law with better support for farmers
The informal agreement between EU co-legislators will ensure soil is monitored in all EU countries and farmers get better support to improve soil health. On Wednesday evening, Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional political agreement on the Commission’s proposal for a soil monitoring law. The overall objective is to have healthy European soils by 2050, in […]
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The European Commission has approved the registration of a new designation, recognizing its distinctive qualities
The European Commission has approved the registration of a new designation, thereby recognizing its distinctive qualities. The “Oli de Menorca/Aceite de Menorca” (as a protected geographical indication) is an organic extra virgin olive oil produced on the island of Menorca. It is a fruity oil, with a medium to intense flavor, and on the palate, […]
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Geographical indications for craft and industrial products
00As of December 2025, craft and industrial products will fully benefit from an EU-wide Geographical indications (GIs) protection under Regulation (EU) 2023/2411. Geographical indications are an intellectual property protection that links specific products, which are European, local, and authentic, to their geographical origin, ensuring that these products possess qualities, reputation, or characteristics that are inherently […]
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New wolf protection statute proposal approved
The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention today voted in favour of the EU proposal to adapt the protection status of the wolf from “strictly protected” to “protected”. The change will enter into force on 7 March 2025. After this date, the EU may adapt the relevant annexes of the Habitats Directive. The Commission will […]
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Plant health law: Council adopts improved rules to protect against plant pests
Today the Council has adopted a targeted revision of the EU plant health law, which improves the way the EU fights plant pests, ensures that the plants that enter the EU are safe, and simplifies procedures. Main elements One of the ways in which the revision improves the existing framework and better protects the health […]
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Smart farming applications for more sustainable and efficient agriculture
The EU-funded SQAT project is developing a mapping service to tackle soil quality and sustainability issues in the agricultural industry. There has been a large uptake of precision agriculture applications in the past two decades. However, the way most farmers collect information about their soils remains mostly the same. Better data on soil properties would […]
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Decline in EU livestock population in 2023
In 2023, the EU‘s livestock populations were lower than a year earlier. Compared with 2022, the pig and bovine populations decreased by 1%, while sheep declined by 3%, and goats by 5%. In 2023, the EU had 133 million pigs, 74 million bovine animals, 58 million sheep, and 11 million goats. This information comes from provisional data […]
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