Photo by samsommer on Unsplash The European Commission has unveiled its European Ocean Pact but the package has met with a mixed response. The EU calls it a comprehensive strategy to better protect the ocean, promote a thriving blue economy and support the well-being of people living in coastal areas. The Pact brings together EU ocean…
Belgian viticulture continues to grow. That was the keynote message to emerge from a major wine awards and launch of the third edition of the Gault&Millau Belgian Wine Guide. The new edition features 24 additional wineries and 29 new references, bringing the total number of wineries and 236 selected wines to 123. Of these, 63…
Photo by MDSUMAR28 on Unsplash MEPs in Brussels have backed increased tariffs on fertilisers and certain Russian and Belarusian agricultural goods. The move, taken in a vote on Thursday, seeks to reduce EU dependency on those imports. The parliamentary plenary has endorsed the EU Commission proposal to increase by 50% EU tariffs on agricultural products…
The Mayor of Waterloo in Belgium has praised a local SME for helping to boost the local economy. Florence Reuter was speaking at a special event to mark the 30th anniversary of the founding of Caspian Tradition, based in Waterloo. From relatively humble beginnings, the business has grown to become a leading player in its…
Photo by Judith Prins on Unsplash A senior MEP has unveiled a major new position paper outlining his vision for the future of European farming and the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027. The paper, developed by Barry Cowen in his role as Renew Europe’s shadow rapporteur for the Parliament’s report on “The Future of…
Photo by Divaris Shirichena on Unsplash MEPs say the next long-term EU budget must be better aligned with the Union’s new priorities of competitiveness and defence. These are the main expectations people have of Europe, and the EU should always align budget priorities with them. That is the message from the EPP group in the…
Photo by Klara Kulikova on Unsplash The EU should demonstrate unity in responding to Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs. So says the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Wine, Quality Foodstuff and Spirits after it analysed the consequences of the 20% tariffs. The new additional taxes will be applied to all EU products starting from April 9. During a…
Photo by Joan W on Unsplash Millions of animals go on difficult journeys within and outside of Europe each year. Transported via land and sea, these sentient beings, says campaign group Eurogroup for Animals, have few rules in place to protect their welfare, especially when they are exported to countries outside of the EU. The…
Photo by Moritz Knöringer on Unsplash The European Commission has approved the addition of rio Negro wines to the register of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Rio Negro are white and red wines, produced in the province of Guadalajara, in Spain. They are known for their aromas: the whites offer citrus, floral, tropical, and apple…
Photo by Sam Carter on Unsplash A new report reveals that animal welfare issues are treated very differently by each of the EU’s 27 Member States. The authors, Eurogroup for Animals, say it shows that the EU must update and modernise the animal welfare legislation as soon as possible. This, it says, it needed to…
