Agriculture in the EU

Latest Agriculture news from the European Union - on EUbusiness.com

Organic Wine rules - guide — 08 February 2012, 22:55 CET

New EU rules for “organic wine” have been agreed in the Standing Committee on Organic Farming (SCOF), and will be published in the Official Journal in the coming weeks. With the new regulation, which will apply from the 2012 harvest, organic wine growers will be allowed to use the term “organic wine” on their labels. The labels must also show the EU-organic-logo and the code number of their certifier, and must respect other wine labelling rules. Although there are already rules for “wine made from organic grapes”, these do not cover wine-making practices, i.e. the whole process from grape to wine. Wine is the one remaining sector not fully covered by the EU rules on organic farming standards under Regulation 834/2007.

EU issues ultimatum to 13 nations for cruelty to hens — 26 January 2012, 13:56 CET

Brussels issued an ultimatum to 13 European nations Thursday to improve conditions for tens of millions of laying-hens held in tiny cramped cages -- or face legal action in two months.

Animal Welfare Strategy 2012-2015 - guide — 19 January 2012, 17:32 CET

The European Commission has adopted a new four-year strategy (2012-2015) that aims to further improve the welfare of animals in the European Union.

Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-2015 - EC Communication — 19 January 2012, 17:14 CET

The European Commission has adopted a new four-year strategy (2012-2015) that aims to further improve the welfare of animals in the European Union.

EU vows legal action on cramped hen cages — 20 January 2012, 10:11 CET

The European Commission warned Thursday that it would launch legal action in the coming days against 14 EU countries that still allow farmers to keep egg-laying hens in cramped, illegal cages.

EU stuck on three new GM authorisations — 16 December 2011, 15:59 CET

Failure by EU agriculture ministers to decide on authorisation for three genetically-modified maize and cotton strains overnight left the matter in the hands of the EU executive on Friday.

Fake Italian organic food sold around Europe — 06 December 2011, 20:05 CET

Fake organic products from Italy have been sold around Europe, Italian police said on Tuesday as they announced the results of an inquiry that has led to seven arrests and the seizure of 2,500 tons of food.

German fertiliser giant in EUR 2.4bn Canada investment — 29 November 2011, 11:23 CET

K+S, one of the world's leading makers of fertilisers, said on Tuesday it planned to invest 3.25 billion Canadian dollars (2.4 billion euros) in the expansion of its potash activities in Canada.

Biofuel policy needs rethink, says UN expert — 25 November 2011, 22:14 CET

The UN special rapporteur on the right to food urged the EU for a rethink on biofuels Friday, saying huge errors had been committed in the initial enthusiasm for an alternative to harmful fossil fuels.

Plant health pests and EU funding programmes to deal with them - guide — 16 November 2011, 17:07 CET

The European Union today earmarked 19 million euros to co-finance programmes in seven Member States aiming to combat organisms harmful to plants and to prevent them from spreading further in the Union and thus from having sever consequences on the internal market. During a meeting of the Standing Committee on Plant Health (SCPH), the Member States endorsed two Commission proposals providing the co-financing (EUR 15 and EUR 4 million respectively) of actions already undertaken in the past or planned to be executed next year.

Fate of bees worries Europe's parliament — 15 November 2011, 19:22 CET

Bothered by spiking mortality rates for bees, Europe's parliamentarians voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to urge the EU to provide more funding for the beekeeping sector.

EU predicts 50 million hens kept illegally next year — 14 November 2011, 19:59 CET

European agriculture chiefs predicted Monday that more than 50 million battery hens will still be held next year in illegal cages, as Brussels threatened legal action against 11 states.

Europe's poorest in bittersweet food-aid victory — 14 November 2011, 20:01 CET

Europe's poorest citizens secured two more years of food aid on Monday -- but still face seeing a free-meals scheme collapse by the end of 2013.

Germany backs two more years of food aid to Europe's poor — 14 November 2011, 14:43 CET

Germany said on Monday it will back two more years of food aid delivering meals to 18 million of Europe's poorest, after months threatening an 80-per cent cut in cash value.

Bulgaria lobbies for fairer EU farming aid caps — 31 October 2011, 19:10 CET

Bulgaria lobbied Germany's farming minister Ilse Aigner on Monday to back EU plans to cap farming subsidies, insisting the current distribution system was uneven, the agriculture ministry said.

Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed — 25 October 2011, 17:48 CET

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) was put in place to provide food and feed control authorities with an effective tool to exchange information about measures taken responding to serious risks detected in relation to food or feed. This exchange of information helps Member States to act more rapidly and in a coordinated manner in response to a health threat caused by food or feed.

Report documents growing importance of the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed — 25 October 2011, 17:49 CET

The European Union's system for quick exchange of information on risks linked to food and feed - an invaluable tool especially at times of crisis - has further grown in importance during 2010, the system's annual report reveals.

EU refuseniks refuse to keep up food aid for poor — 20 October 2011, 21:44 CET

As winter looms, six European states on Thursday refused to budge on a massive reduction in food aid delivering meals to 18 million of Europe's poorest.

EU farming reform 'beneficial to all': Commissioner — 17 October 2011, 18:22 CET

Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos on Monday dismissed criticism of his planned reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, saying the overhaul will be "beneficial to all."

"Agenda for Change" in EU development policy and EU budget support - guide — 13 October 2011, 15:56 CET

The EU will re-prioritise its delivery of aid to developing countries to ensure maximum impact on poverty reduction. EU Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs has presented the 'Agenda for Change' of EU Development policy and a new policy for EU budget support. These communications set out a more strategic EU approach to reducing poverty, including through a more targeted allocation of funding. Future EU spending should concentrate on sectors which are key for long-term and inclusive growth, target countries that are in the greatest need of external support and where aid can make a difference.

EU moves to 'green' its farms in radical reform bid — 12 October 2011, 23:47 CET

The EU called for a greener, fairer farm policy Wednesday as it moved to radically overhaul its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by capping subsidies and tying them to environmental concerns.

EU farm subsidy reform bid 'slightly ridiculous': Poland — 12 October 2011, 22:43 CET

Poland on Wednesday slammed as "slightly ridiculous" an EU bid to overhaul its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by capping subsidies and tying them to environmental concerns.

Chiquita, Pacific Fruit face banana cartel allegation — 12 October 2011, 16:44 CET

The European Commission accused Pacific Fruit and Chiquita of illegally fixing the prices of bananas they sold in southern Europe and fined Pacific Fruit 8.9 millions euros ($12.25 million).

Legal proposals for the CAP after 2013 — 12 October 2011, 14:13 CET

he European Commission's proposals for a reform of the CAP after 2013 aim to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and permanence of agriculture throughout the EU in order to secure for European citizens a healthy and high-quality source of food, preserve the environment and develop rural areas.

CAP Reform - the main elements — 12 October 2011, 14:11 CET

The Commission has today published proposals for Four basic Council regulations for the Common Agriculture Policy – i) on Direct Payments, ii) the Single Common Market Organisation (CMO), iii) Rural Development and, iv) a Horizontal Regulation for financing, managing and monitoring the CAP. In addition, there are 3 smaller regulations to address transition arrangements to the new rules. The package also contains an Explanatory Memorandum; Citizens Summary, and Annexes linked with different aspects of the Impact Assessment.