Agriculture

Latest news, background information and web links about the EU's farm policies and the Common Agricultural Policy

EU wine market reform - guide — 02 May 2008, 00:04 CET

Latest news, background information and web links about the EU's farm policies and the Common Agricultural Policy

Feed Marketing - guide — 06 March 2008, 17:08 CET

Latest news, background information and web links about the EU's farm policies and the Common Agricultural Policy

BASF GM potato authorisation - Greenpeace statement — 19 February 2008, 10:11 CET

Latest news, background information and web links about the EU's farm policies and the Common Agricultural Policy

Debate over GMOs rages on in Europe — 18 January 2008, 18:56 CET

Over 300 scientists and green lobby groups in Spain have signed a petition calling on their government to ban the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Revised Common Market Organisation for wine: main points — 19 December 2007, 23:38 CET

Latest news, background information and web links about the EU's farm policies and the Common Agricultural Policy

EU Health Check to streamline Common Agricultural Policy — 20 November 2007, 11:45 CET

Latest news, background information and web links about the EU's farm policies and the Common Agricultural Policy

Europe should grow more grain legumes: EU project — 12 November 2007, 23:43 CET

European farmers should grow more grain legumes for their positive human, environmental and economic benefits, an EU-funded project is to say.

Brussels proposes keeping EU's contested cotton aid regime — 09 November 2007, 16:22 CET

The Commission has proposed keeping the EU's cotton growers' subsidy scheme, largely de-linking aid from production, that Europe's highest court contested after a Spanish complaint.

Reform of the EU support scheme for Cotton — 09 November 2007, 16:15 CET

The European Commission on 9 November 2007 proposed a revised reform of the support scheme for Cotton. The new proposal maintains the support arrangements from the current regime, which was annulled by the European Court of Justice because of shortcomings in the impact assessment carried out by the Commission. The proposal foresees that 65 % of the aid should be "decoupled" (i.e. no longer linked to production) and 35 % remain linked to cotton production, in the form of area payments. The Court judgment did not question the reform's approach (i.e. the change of support system) but found that the Commission had failed to carry out an impact study that included labour costs in the calculation of production costs, and failed to assess the effect of the reform on the local ginning industry. The new proposal follows the completion of an in-depth impact assessment and a wide-ranging consultation of stakeholders.

Thousands of cattle risk cull in Cyprus foot and mouth outbreak — 06 November 2007, 19:43 CET

Cyprus has culled more than 500 animals in a bid to contain its first foot and mouth outbreak in more than 40 years and thousands more are at risk, officials warned on Tuesday.

EU confirms foot and mouth on Cyprus — 06 November 2007, 01:18 CET

EU experts confirmed on Monday that Cyprus is in the midst of its first outbreak of foot and mouth disease for more than 40 years, Agriculture Minister Photis Photiou said.

EU cotton market — 02 November 2007, 17:41 CET

Cotton is an arable crop used both for its seeds, from which oil and oilseed cakes are made, and for its fibre. Today in the EU, cotton is only a small sector which accounts for less than 2 % of world cotton production and less than 0.0025 % of the EU's UAA (utilised agricultural area). The EU is a net importer of cotton. Support for the production of cotton under the Common Agricultural Policy started in 1981, with the accession of Greece. Since then the regime has been revised regularly. Today the EU's main producing countries are Greece and Spain, with some production also in Bulgaria and Portugal.

Tests clear Cyprus of foot and mouth — 31 October 2007, 18:05 CET

Test results received by Cyprus on Wednesday verified that the Mediterranean island did not have an outbreak of foot and mouth disease as suspected, Cypriot Agriculture Minister Photis Photiou told AFP.

Massive rise in GM farming not enough: EU biotech industry — 30 October 2007, 19:08 CET

Despite long-standing scepticism of genetically modified organisms, the past 12 months have seen a massive 77% increase in the area planted with GM crops in Europe.

EU agri-ministers debate future of European wine — 24 October 2007, 18:27 CET

In their third debate on options for reform of the European Union wine sector, EU agriculture ministers, meeting in Luxembourg on 22-23 October, discussed ways to balance supply and demand and win back markets.

Cypriot farmers fear ruin after EU ruling to cull herds — 09 October 2007, 15:30 CET

An EU court ruling for Cyprus to cull as many as a quarter of its goat and sheep population infected with scrapie could drive many farmers to ruin, officials warned on Tuesday.

Bluetongue disease and the EU - guide — 04 October 2007, 13:53 CET

Latest news, background information and web links about the EU's farm policies and the Common Agricultural Policy

Bluetongue disease : EU measures — 04 October 2007, 13:51 CET

Bluetongue is a non-contagious, insect-transmitted, viral disease of sheep and wild ruminants. It is not known to affect humans.

High cereal prices may fuel problems in poor areas: FAO chief — 03 October 2007, 19:07 CET

UN Food and Agriculture Organization chief Jacques Diouf on Wednesday warned that the global rise in cereal prices could lead to "social and political troubles" in developing nations.

EU Food Safety Regulatory Committees — 03 October 2007, 17:08 CET

Following the adoption of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January2002 setting out the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety, the regulatory committees consisting of representatives of the Member States that have a key role in decision-making on food safety issues were reorganised within a single new structure, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. This new Standing Committee replaces the existing Standing Veterinary Committee, the Standing Committee on Foodstuffs, the Standing Committee on Animal Nutrition and part of the Standing Committee on Plant Health (plant protection products and pesticides residues). The new Committee will assist the European Commission in the development of food safety measures. Its mandate covers the entire food supply chain, ranging from animal health issues on the farm to the product that arrives on the consumer's table, thus significantly enhancing its ability to target risks to health wherever they arise in the production of our food. The Committee will consist of representatives of the Member States and be chaired by a European Commission representative.

Eased culling hiked risk of infected meat on market: EU court — 29 September 2007, 12:22 CET

A recent easing of rules on culling sheep and goats during outbreaks of mad cow disease could have brought infected meat onto the European market.

EU Court rejects Austrian biotech ban - EuropaBio — 14 September 2007, 20:19 CET

Latest news, background information and web links about the EU's farm policies and the Common Agricultural Policy

British meat back in disease quarantine — 13 September 2007, 16:20 CET

A new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among cattle is confirmed in Britain, prompting the EU to reimpose a ban on British meat exports.

EU bans British meat, livestock as foot and mouth strikes again — 12 September 2007, 20:20 CET

EU nations on Wednesday reimposed a ban on meat and livestock from Britain after confirmation of a fresh outbreak of foot and mouth disease in southeast England, a European Commission spokesman said.

EU lifts all restrictions on British meat — 11 September 2007, 18:47 CET

The European Union decided on Tuesday to lift all remaining restrictions on the export of British meat, signalling the all-clear after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.