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…
Agriculture
Call for Major Increase in CAP Funding
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…
Cohesion and Agriculture Key Pillars for EU Budget
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…
Wine Intergroup Calls for Dialogue after Trump’s Tariffs
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…
EU Looks for Alternative to Live Animal Transport
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…
New Addition to EU’s Protected List
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…
End the EU’s Patchwork of Animal Welfare Laws
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…
Modernising Animal Welfare Legislation
Photo by Gabriel Porras on Unsplash The modernisation of animal welfare legislation is an opportunity we should not miss, says an EU Commissioner. Olivér Várhelyi, who is responsible for Health and Animal Welfare, was speaking during an event bringing together farmers, businesses, policymakers and NGOs at the Residence Palace in Brussels on 5 February. “It…
Campaign to Improve Animal Welfare
Photo by Suzanne Tucker on Unsplash Campaign group Compassion in World Farming is calling for improved animal welfare at EU level. It wants European lawmakers to ensure that such action is central to the new Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare’s role in the new mandate and not just to the job title, in the…
Animal Welfare Science Challenged by Lobbyists
New documents are said to shed light on a pushback from industry lobbyists against recent advancements in animal welfare science. Obtained through Freedom of Information Requests, the papers challenge the latest scientific opinions issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the EU’s food watchdog. Investigative journalist Thin Lei Win secured the documents as part…