single market for food
Commission report: EU countries have exceeded expectations on unfair trade practices
Most EU countries have chosen to go beyond the minimum protections set out in the EU rules banning unfair trading practices in the agri sector, a new report has found, but stakeholders warn much work remains to ensure the bloc is on common footing.
German supermarket chain REWE to remove most foreign pork from shelves
German supermarket chain REWE aims for 95% of its pork to be homegrown to help the sector struggling from disease and high feed prices, prompting the European Commission to warn that over-reliance on domestic supply could in some cases infringe the bloc's competition rules.
Greek fires decimate honey sector, opening floodgates for cheap, fraudulent imports
The wildfires that swept across Greece this summer have decimated the country's beekeeping sector, leaving it vulnerable to a barrage of cheap and potentially fraudulent honey imports, EU farmers’ association COPA-COGECA has warned.
EU goes easy on alcohol in cancer plan
Alcoholic drinks have been treated differently to tobacco products in Europe's Beating cancer plan, as overuse, not its use, will be targeted by the Commission's initiatives.
Czech parliament backs food law obliging stores to prioritise local products
The Czech Republic is on its way to introduce a protectionist food law despite warnings that this could be in violation of the EU's free movement of goods.
Member states coalition presents latest challenge to colour-coded nutrition label
The fight against France’s Nutri-Score system reigning supreme as the mandatory EU-wide nutrition food label has kicked up a notch with the addition of a new non-paper backed by multiple member states.
Kyriakides: Investments will match EU’s ambition on sustainable food systems
The EU's determination to become a global leader in sustainability will be matched by investments in solutions to deliver on the commitments set out in the EU's new food policy, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.
‘Made locally and globally’: An alliance of common sense for consumers
Whether they offer the promise of produce 'made locally' or 'globally', all farmer have an important role to play and offer to consumers, writes Elena Valenciano.
EU food stocks: Should gear up for a rise of food protectionism?
The EU is preparing to change its agricultural storage policy at a time when the COVID-19 health crisis has highlighted the weaknesses of its reserves. EURACTIV France reports.
New EU food policy to be presented in two weeks
After being delayed twice, the European Commission is ready to unveil on 20 May its much-awaited food policy, the Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F), according to its weekly 'indicative' agenda.
EU-wide food label should not fall to the back-burner, say advocates
Advocates for an EU-wide mandatory Nutri-score food label want the European Commission not to overlook the long-awaited harmonisation of front-of-pack nutritional labelling, despite the focus on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 causing spike in unfair trade practices, farmers complain
Farmers are noticing an increase in the use of unfair trade practices (UTPs) in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, while the implementation of the EU regulation that should protect them is still in its early stages.
Ministers press Commission to trigger private storage against food price shocks
In a joint statement agreed last Friday (17 April), all EU-27 farm ministers called for activating the private storage aid (PSA) to support those agri-food sectors where significant market disturbances and price impacts have been assessed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
MEPs urge Commission to directly intervene on market to help farmers
The European Parliament's Agriculture Committee wrote a letter to the Commission on Friday (17 April), calling on the EU executive to intervene on the market so that farmers avoid further losses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, as money is scarce, the Commission is hesitating. EURACTIV Germany reports.
MEPs call for volume reduction in dairy sector to avoid ‘milk lakes’
In response to the COVID-19 sanitary crisis, 14 MEPs from three political groups have asked to implement without delay a compulsory percentage of volume reduction in the dairy sector in order to avoid milk storage or destruction due to the spring peak production of milk.
French farmers and MPs call for the creation of European food stocks
French agricultural producers and MPs are urging the European Commission to set up food stocks to avoid falling prices and the destruction of certain food products. EURACTIV France reports.
COVID-19: France calls unemployed to work in fields as borders stay closed
The French government has called on the technically unemployed French to make themselves available to help farmers with seasonal harvests. But such 'agricultural patriotism' does not bode well with the tightening of containment. EURACTIV France reports.
COVID-19 measures could cause ‘devastating’ labour shortage in EU farming
Europe’s farming sector could face a dramatic shortfall in workers as a consequence of the border restrictions put in place to stem the spread of novel coronavirus, which could lead to “devastating” impacts, according to Pekka Pesonen, secretary-general or farmers association COPA-COGECA.
COVID-19: Agri-food sector calls on EU to avert agricultural disruption
Europe's ability to provide food depends on the preservation of the Single Market, agri-food stakeholders stressed in a joint statement published on Thursday (19 March) and directed to the European Commission.
Struggling beekeepers undercut by cheap honey imports, says new report
European honey producers are calling for an emergency action plan to be put in place to save the sector, pointing to a drop in production across the EU and a rise in cheap imports.
US packaged foods juggernaut under EU antitrust probe
US consumer goods group Mondelez International is being investigated for suspected anti-competitive practices covering EU several member states, a European Commission spokesperson confirmed to EURACTIV.
Commission bemused by consumer information conundrum
The European Commission has started sketching the new EU-wide food labelling scheme, expected to be proposed in the context of the new Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F), but the debate over what kind of information to provide to consumers has just started.
Sinkevicius: EU aims to ensure viable food packaging recycling by 2030
The Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F) have the same overarching objective of reducing unsustainable resource use by promoting sustainable production and consumption and reducing waste generation, Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV.