Agriculture in the EU

Latest Agriculture news from the European Union.

More support for Europe's agricultural and food sectors — 06 May 2020, 00:24 CET

The European Commission published Monday its latest package of exceptional measures to support the agricultural and food sectors which are being most affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Further support measures for agricultural and food sectors — 05 May 2020, 00:25 CET

The European Commission published on 4 May its latest package of exceptional measures to support the agricultural and food sectors most affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Coronavirus: new measures to help EU farmers — 24 April 2020, 00:23 CET

A new set of measures to help EU farmers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, announced Wednesday by the Commission, aims to stabilise markets and provide stability to future prices and production.

EU action on pesticides has made limited progress: auditors — 11 February 2020, 00:57 CET

The EU offers few incentives for farmers to reduce their dependency to pesticides, and has been unable to substantially reduce and control risks associated to pesticides use by farmers, says a new report.

Euro-MPs call for reduction in pesticides to protect bees — 04 December 2019, 23:24 CET

Further reducing use of pesticides, more funds for research and better monitoring are urgently needed to save the EU’s bees, according to the European Parliament's Environment Committee Tuesday.

EU provisionally agrees requirements for water reuse — 04 December 2019, 23:17 CET

EU institutions provisionally agreed requirements for water reuse in farming Tuesday, setting out minimum water quality requirements for the safe reuse of treated urban wastewaters in agricultural irrigation.

EUR 200m to promote European food products — 20 November 2019, 18:56 CET

The EU is to allocate over EUR 200 million in order to fund promotional activities for EU agri-food products, such as cheeses and wines, at home and abroad, the European Commission announced on Tuesday.

Wine market observatory — 06 October 2021, 17:50 CET

The aim of the EU wine market observatory is to provide the EU wine sector with more transparency by means of disseminating market data and short-term analysis in a timely manner. Dashboards and reports display statistical data and the evolution of wine production and consumption on the European market over time.

MEPs block watering down of measures to protect bees — 24 October 2019, 22:07 CET

The European Parliament sent an EU regulation to protect bees from harmful pesticides back to the drawing board Wednesday, when MEPs blocked a move by EU Member States to water down the legislation.

No patents on naturally obtained plants and seeds, say MEPs — 24 September 2019, 14:03 CET

Fruit, vegetables or animals obtained from conventional breeding processes, such as crossing, must not become patentable, the European Parliament said in a non-legislative resolution on Thursday.

EU food agency consults on cumulative risk of pesticides — 17 September 2019, 18:44 CET

The European Food Safety Authority, the EU's food agency, opened a public consultation Tuesday on its pilot assessments of the risks posed to humans by residues of multiple pesticides in food.

Cumulative risk of pesticides - EU food agency consultation - Q&A — 17 September 2019, 18:34 CET

EFSA is carrying out a public consultation on its pilot assessments of the risks posed to humans by residues of multiple pesticides in food.

Climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector in Europe - EEA Report No 4/2019 — 04 September 2019, 23:57 CET

Climate change affects agriculture in a number of ways. Changes in temperature and precipitation as well as weather and climate extremes are already influencing crop yields and livestock productivity in Europe. Weather and climate conditions also affect the availability of water needed for irrigation, livestock watering practices, processing of agricultural products, and transport and storage conditions. Climate change is projected to reduce crop productivity in parts of southern Europe and to improve the conditions for growing crops in northern Europe. Although northern regions may experience longer growing seasons and more suitable crop conditions in future, the number of extreme events negatively affecting agriculture in Europe is projected to increase.

EU agrees measures to combat drought in Europe — 31 August 2019, 00:25 CET

EU Member States agreed Wednesday to a series of support measures to ease financial difficulties faced by farmers due to adverse weather conditions, and increase the availability of feed for animals.

EU, United States sign agreement on imports of hormone-free beef — 08 August 2019, 23:43 CET

The European Union and the United States signed in Washington D.C. Friday an agreement reviewing the functioning of an existing quota to import hormone-free beef into the EU.

EU agrees aid package for Irish beef producers — 20 June 2019, 23:36 CET

EU Member States agreed Thursday to make EUR 50 million available to support Irish beef farmers, which can be matched by national funds to reach a maximum of EUR 100 million.

EU increases aid to Europe's beekeeping sector — 17 June 2019, 23:17 CET

The European Commission announced Monday it is to provide EUR 120 million to the EU's beekeeping sector over the next three years, in order to support its essential role in agriculture and the environment.

Brussels aims for price transparency in food chain — 24 May 2019, 13:46 CET

After bans on unfair trading practices and better producer cooperation, the EU Commission made proposals Wednesday for greater transparency in the way prices are reported throughout the food chain.

EU launches citizens' initiative to save the bees — 16 May 2019, 23:19 CET

The European Commission decided Wednesday to register a European Citizens' Initiative entitled ‘Save the bees! Protection of biodiversity and improvement of habitats for insects in Europe'.

Young European farmers get access to EUR 1 bn EU loan package — 03 May 2019, 01:18 CET

The EU Commission and European Investment Bank launched a EUR 1 bn loans package Monday targeting specifically young farmers. Nearly a third of young farmers' loan applications were rejected in 2017.

MEPs back plans to reform EU agriculture — 02 April 2019, 21:08 CET

MEPs in committee voted Monday and Tuesday on farm policy reform plans including rules for direct payments and rural development and the common market organisation in agricultural products after 2020.

MEPs vote to end daylight saving time from 2021 — 27 March 2019, 18:56 CET

2021 could be the last year with a seasonal time change in the EU following the European Parliament's vote Tuesday to end the practice of adjusting clocks by an hour in spring and autumn.

Supervision of organic imports needs to be improved: EU auditors — 14 March 2019, 15:29 CET

While the control system for organic products in the EU has improved in recent years, action is needed on the supervision of imports as well as on product traceability, says a European Court of Auditors report.

Special report no 04/2019: The control system for organic products has improved, but some challenges remain — 14 March 2019, 15:26 CET

Since 1991, the EU has had a control system governing the production, processing, distribution and import of organic products. It aims to give consumers the confidence that organic rules are applied at every stage of the supply chain. The EU organic sector has developed rapidly over recent years. Following up on our Special Report No 9/2012 published in June 2012, we found that the control system had improved. Our recommendations had generally been implemented, but some challenges remained. We make recommendations to address the remaining weaknesses we identified in the Member States for EU products, to improve the supervision of imported organic products through better cooperation as well as to carry out more complete traceability checks.

MEPs vote to end biannual clock change in Europe — 05 March 2019, 13:04 CET

The last Sunday in March 2021 could mark the end of seasonal changes of time in the EU, following a vote Monday by the European Parliament's Transport and Tourism Committee to end biannual clock changes.