Europe Agri articles from December 2004

Europe Agri archives from December 2004

EU LAUNCHES INQUIRY INTO "DISCRIMINATORY" PORTUGUESE WINE TAX.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The European Commission launched a formal inquiry into a wine promotion tax in Portugal on December 1, arguing that the charge could be discriminatory against non-Portuguese wine producers. The parafiscal charge, introduced in 1995, is levied...

GENETIC ENGINEERING: FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY PUBLISHES GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR RISK ASSESSMENT.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Before GMOs or derived products can be sold in the EU, they must undergo an approval process involving a thorough examination of risks to human and animal health and to environmental safety. The new guidance document covers the full risk...

GENETIC ENGINEERING: NEW RESEARCH SAYS GM-CROPS HAVE NO NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
December 2, 2004... Report findings. The Bright project studied sugar beet and oilseed rape which had been genetically modified to be tolerant to herbicide. Research for the project, which was partially funded by the UK government, was carried out by...

AREA UNDER FIELD CROPS HAS INCREASED BY 25% AFTER ENLARGEMENT, REPORT SAYS.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... New statistics show that the area under field crops such as wheat, rye and maize increased by a quarter after the accession of the ten new Member States. The statistics, released by the Eurostat on November 28, also show an especially high...

NEWS IN BRIEF.(portuguese beef exports embargo lifted)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The EU's embargo on exports of Portuguese beef was lifted completely on November 21, following a Regulation adopted by the European Commission on November 19. The move, which was agreed on by the Member States in September (see Europe...

FAO COUNCIL ADOPTS RIGHT TO FOOD GUIDELINES.(Food and Agriculture Organisation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) adopted Voluntary Guidelines on November 23 that will "support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security". The Guidelines were developed...

FAO AND WHO ISSUE AVIAN INFLUENZA WARNING OVER DOMESTIC DUCKS.(Food and Agriculture Organisation)(World Health Organisation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on November 11 that domestic ducks may be acting as a "silent reservoir" for the Avian Influenza virus, giving them an important new role in the...

CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN WINTER 2004.(Calendar)
December 2, 2004... December 7 - 9 Kiev, Ukraine - "Rabies in Europe" Office International des Epizooties/World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) First International Conference. http://www.oie.int 8 - 9 Khon Kaen, Thailand - World Sugar 2004: The...

GENETIC ENGINEERING: MADRID PLANS SAFETY DISTANCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND GM CROPS.(Brief Article)
December 21, 2004... The future Spanish decree on safety distances between traditional and organic crops, on the one hand, and GM crops, on the other, is based on Commission recommendations from 2003. It aims to regulate the building of "barriers" to stop GM pollen...

MED FISH ASSOCIATION PLEDGES TO HELP CONSERVE MARINE RESOURCES.(Brief Article)
December 21, 2004... The President of Mediterranean fishery association Medisamak, Mourad Kahoul, assured Fish Commissioner Joe Borg of his organisation's support in helping the European Union pursue sustainable fisheries during a meeting on December 11. Mr Kahoul...

FARMERS' LOBBY CALLS FOR MORE MANAGEMENT OF GRAIN MARKET.(COPA-COGECA )(Brief Article)
December 21, 2004... European farmers' lobby COPA-COGECA has called on the European Commission to take more market management measures for cereals. Paul Temple, the newly-elected Chairman of COPA's Cereal Working Party, said on December 6 that grain prices on the...

NEWS IN BRIEF.(Brief Article)
December 21, 2004... The EU's new Fisheries Control Agency could be in place by early 2006, Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said on December 10. The Agency's remit will be to clamp down on illegal fishing and enforce the EU's fisheries rules. Mr Borg said he hopes...

FAO: GLOBAL CEREAL OUTPUT HITS RECORD HIGH IN 2004.
December 21, 2004... Grain boom. World grain stocks are forecast to rise to 441 million tonnes by the close of the 2004/05 season, the report says. Most of the latest upward revision of the world cereal production forecast results from a substantial increase...

URGENT ACTION MUST BE TAKEN TO BOOST RICE PRODUCTION, SAY EXPERTS.
December 21, 2004... Growth in rice yields is falling behind population growth and urgent action must be taken to reverse this, development experts said on December 8. Representatives from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the European Parliament...

MORE INVESTMENT IN FARMING ESSENTIAL TO MEET MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, SAYS FAO.(Brief Article)
December 21, 2004... Economic growth in developing countries and the successful completion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will not happen unless governments invest more in agriculture and rural development, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation...

NEWS IN BRIEF.(Brief Article)
December 21, 2004... The EU should set its new banana import tariff at 260 Euro per tonne, the Government of the Canary Islands - one of the EU's main banana-producing regions - said on December 2. EU growers want the new tariff - which must be in place by 2006 -...

CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN WINTER 2004.(Calendar)
December 21, 2004... December 21 - 22 Brussels, Belgium - Agriculture and Fisheries Council January 10 Brussels, Belgium - Agriculture and Fisheries Council 14 Strasbourg, France - "The CAP - new prospects for young farmers in Europe and beyond",...