The British Meat Processors Association has urged the UK government to address its concerns about the current Brexit talks. On Wednesday, its CEO Nick Allen said, “Despite reassurances from our PM last week that “we’re ready for any eventuality”, the reality is that many key issues remain unresolved. Brexit contingency preparations are proceeding at a snail’s pace and…
More than 50 scientists have signed a statement calling for action by the European Commission, European Parliament and EU member states to end overfishing “as an urgent and necessary response to biodiversity and climate crises”. The scientists are urging the EU to set fishing limits within scientific advice, and recognise that “ecosystem-based fisheries management is critical to…
To prepare for the risk of forest fires during the upcoming summer, the EU is further reinforcing its European fleet of firefighting aircraft under the rescEU system. The EU is financing purchases by the Swedish government of 2 new firefighting airplanes to add to the reserve. This adds up to a total of 13 airplanes…
The agricultural sector is in need of a specific fund outside CAP in response to the corona crisis, says the EPP. In an exchange of views in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development with Commissioner Janusz Wociechowski regarding the exceptional measures for the European farming sector, the ECR Group called for a specific agricultural fund outside…
The President of Ukraine has signed the law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on the Conditions of Circulation of Agricultural Land” Law № 552-IX was originally approved by the Verkhovna Rada on 31 March. The document provides for the formation of a legislative framework for the introduction of market circulation of agricultural…
Amidst undulating prices and mixed newspaper headlines, 2019 has seen a number of shocks to the globally important but under-scrutinised fertilizer sector. The industry has been hit by what is seen as mismanagement and poor decision making and has emerged as a target for questionable large-scale international practices. These developments have blighted the reputation of…
Representatives from the European Member States in the EU Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCOPAFF) have voted to ban the neurotoxic pesticides chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl from the EU market, a historic move that has been applauded by health and environment groups. Genon K. Jensen, Executive Director of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL),…
New rules on plant health, designed to stop diseases spreading or jumping borders, will become effective on Saturday. The EU Regulation 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests was steered through the European Parliament by UK member Anthea McIntyre, Conservative MEP for the West Midlands. It became law in December 2016 and is directly applicable…
A European Citizens’ Initiative has been launched to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, support farmers, and save bees and nature. If it gathers one million signatures by September 2020, the EU Commission and Parliament must consider turning the campaign’s demands into law. The aim of the ECI is to bring the European Commission to propose…
In the first major vote of the new European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries, its 28 members today (12 November) decided to reopen the floodgates of overfishing in Europe. By 20 votes against 6 (and 2 abstentions), they confirmed the catastrophic position adopted by the former Parliament in April 2019. Among other things, this position reintroduced…
