The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has updated its assessment of the risks posed by Xylella fastidiosa to plants and crops in the European Union. The new assessment provides new insights and conclusions on controlling existing outbreaks of this pest and preventing further spread in the EU. EFSA’s Plant Health Panel (PLH) used computer modelling to simulate […]
The defense of a stronger common agricultural policy for climate action
The European Commission published on May 27 an external study to analyze the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and coherence of the EU added value for climate action in certain key measures of the CAP. Launched in 1962 to support the production of affordable and good quality food for European citizens, the CAP introduced climate action as […]
Rare crops crucial to protect Europe’s food supply, boost health
Rye bread or porridge oats may not be everyone’s first choice of breakfast, but scientists say Europeans need to broaden their taste in cereals both to boost their own health and to protect the future of Europe’s farming. Wheat makes up nearly half of all cereals grown in the EU. The rest is mainly maize and barley. Although […]
EU adopts new rules on fertilisers
The EU is adopting new rules for placing fertilising products on the EU market. The Council today adopted a regulation which harmonises the requirements for fertilisers produced from phosphate minerals and from organic or secondary raw materials in the EU, opening up new possibilities for their production and marketing on a large scale. According to […]
Young farmers: €1 billion to facilitate access to finance
The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) launched today a €1 billion loans package targeting specifically young farmers. In 2017, 27% of the loan applications submitted to banks by EU young farmers were rejected, compared to only 9% for other farms. The €1 billion package announced today by Commissioner for agriculture Phil Hogan […]
Fairer, simpler, more flexible EU farm policy
The Agriculture Committee approved the first and second batch of proposals to improve EU farm policy so that it better meets farmers’ and consumers’ expectations after 2020. The second vote on CAP reform focussed on the new EU rules for direct payments and rural development after 2020. The Agriculture Committee’s amendments to the so-called Strategic […]
Food: protecting farmers and small firms from unfair trading practices
Farmers and small food businesses are vulnerable to unfair trading practices. MEPs vote this week on new rules to help protect them. Unfair trading practices occur in all sectors, but are especially problematic in the food supply chain, as agricultural producers may be put under undue economic pressure. On Tuesday 12 March, MEPs vote […]
Commission increases national support to farmers up to €25,000
The maximum limit of national aid to increases will increase to those that have been improved, efficiency and efficiency, especially times of crisis and situations in which a rapid response can be obtained from public authorities. The Commission has adopted revised rules on State aid in the agricultural sector (the so-called de minimis aid), increasing […]