Europe Agri articles from January 2008

Europe Agri archives from January 2008

2008 BUDGET FOR FISHERIES CONTROL AGENCY.
January 18, 2008... The European Commission gave, in late December 2007, a sum of 5.5 million for the funding of the Community Fisheries Control Agency under the 2008 budget (Decision C(2007)6444). The sum of the financial contribution for personnel and...

ROY REEVE/EUPT.(Brief article)
January 18, 2008... Roy Reeve took office on 1 January as the head of the European Union Planning Team (EUPT), preparing a future civilian ESDP mission in the broader rule of law area (police, justice, and customs) in Kosovo. His appointment was confirmed on 18...

AGENDA.
January 18, 2008... COUNCIL OF MINISTERS 21 January Agriculture and Fisheries Council Brussels, 11:00 The following points will be discussed: - Work programme of the Presidency - Presentation - Proposal for a Council Regulation amending...

2008 BUDGET FOR FISHERIES CONTROL AGENCY.
January 18, 2008... The European Commission gave, in late December 2007, a sum of C5.5 million for the funding of the Community Fisheries Control Agency under the 2008 budget (Decision C(2007)6444). The sum of the financial contribution for personnel and...

AVIAN FLU IN POLAND AND GERMANY.
January 18, 2008... Following outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Poland and Germany in December, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health voted, on 9 January, in favour of a decision confirming the eradication and control measures...

AVIANFLU IN THE UK.(Brief article)
January 18, 2008... The UK authorities informed the European Commission on 10 January of the confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza in three wild swans at a bird sanctuary in Dorset. At the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, the UK...

INDUSTRY : BIO-INDUSTRY RESPONDS POSITIVELY TO LEAD MARKET APPROACH.(Brief article)
January 18, 2008... Representatives of the European bio-industry have welcomed the European Commission's announcement that bio-based products should be one of the first six areas to benefit from its new Lead Market Initiative. According to the European...

BLUETONGUE VACCINATION CAMPAIGN.
January 18, 2008... The European Commission will make funds available to co-finance an emergency mass vaccination campaign against bluetongue in the EU in 2008, Commissioner for Health Markos Kyprianou announced on 16 January at a conference hosted by the EU...

EU/AUSTRALIA : CANBERRA TO END AWB'S CEREAL EXPORTS MONOPOLY.
January 18, 2008... Kevin Rudd, the new Australian prime minister, has just launched, as he had promised during the electoral campaign in 2007, the reform of the state monopoly on the export of cereals. This is one of the points of friction between the European...

AGRICULTURAL POLICY : CAP HEALTH CHECK' TO DOMINATE AGENDA.
January 18, 2008... The Slovenian EU Presidency inherits the thorny dossier on the health check' of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It is under pressure to achieve a result because the French EU Presidency which follows intends to move onto another phase:...

NOVEL FOODS : COMMISSION CAUTIOUSLY OPENS THE DOOR TO CLONING.
January 18, 2008... The European Commission, which on 14 January presented a draft regulation on novel foods', is also to take a first step towards the marketing of foodstuffs resulting from cloned animals in Europe. While avoiding the use of the term cloning',...

NOVEL FOODS : COMMISSION FORGING AHEAD WITH REVIEW OF PROCEDURE.
January 18, 2008... Without waiting for the opinions that it had itself solicited from scientific committees and citizens, the European Commission proposed, on 14 January, a revision of the 1997 Regulation EC 258/97 on novel foods, a text which touches on the...

AGRICULTURAL AID : COMMISSION IMPROVES CROSS-COMPLIANCE SYSTEM.
January 18, 2008... The management and monitoring of the cross-compliance system for direct agricultural aid, one of the key elements of the 2003 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, will be improved, taking into account the conclusions of the report...

BIOTECHNOLOGY : COMMISSION PERPLEXED BY FRENCH ATTITUDE TO GMOS.
January 18, 2008... The European Commission does not seem to know which route to take on the issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). For months, it has been postponing several decisions awaited by the European biotechnology lobby and its President, Jose...

HENS : COMMISSION PUSHES NEW STANDARDS FOR HEN WELFARE.
January 18, 2008... The European Commission adopted, on 8 January, its report on the breeding system for egg-laying hens and the implementation of new standards for animal welfare. The compliance cost of the oldest establishments by 2012 will be, according to the...

EU/US/WTO : COMMISSION WELCOMES WASHINGTON'S GESTURE ON GMO PROCEDURE.
January 18, 2008... The European Union has welcomed the decision of the United States to temporarily suspend its proceedings with the World Trade Organisation against Europe with regard to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). "We welcome the measured response of...

CONSULTATION ON SEAL PRODUCTS.
January 18, 2008... The Commission launched, on 20 December, a consultation on the trade of products derived from seal hunting. It is a follow-up to part of the European Parliament's requests - in 2006 and 2007 - for EU legislation on the matter and to decisions...

CONVICTIONS IN ADULTERATED BUTTER CASE.
January 18, 2008... The Magistrates Court in Creteil (France) imposed suspended prison sentences on the managers of a dairy company found guilty of selling products manufactured using adulterated butter. According to the ruling, given on 22 November 2007, the...

EU/CROATIA : CROATIA IMPOSES ADRIATIC FISHERIES ZONE DESPITE EU WARNINGS.
January 18, 2008... Despite strong opposition from the European Union, Croatia activated its special Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone (ZERP) in the Adriatic Sea on 1 January 2008. The EU's Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn warned earlier that such a move...

MEAT : ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION OF SHEEP AND GOATS POSTPONED.(Brief article)
January 18, 2008... Despite their hostility to the one-year postponement of the electronic identification of sheep and goats, Rome and Madrid were unable to prevent the adoption of this decision, on 17 December, by the EU's agriculture ministers. "The regulation,...

CEREALS : EU SUSPENDS CEREAL IMPORT RIGHTS.
January 18, 2008... Import duties will be temporarily suspended on entry into the EU of certain cereal imports to alleviate supply problems due to low supply and increase in prices on global markets. Until 30 June 2008, the European Commission will be able to...

ENVIRONMENT : EXEMPTIONS GRANTED TO NITRATES DIRECTIVE.
January 18, 2008... Three decisions adopted at the end of December by the European Commission grant the Belgian regions of Flanders and Wallonia, and also Northern Ireland, the authorisation, subject to conditions, to spread a higher quantity of breeding effluents...

FISHERIES: OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR GREECE.
January 18, 2008... The European Commission approved the fisheries and aquaculture operational programme 2007-2013 for Greece on 14 January. Co-financed by the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), the programme covers five priorities: 1. adaptation of the EU fishing...

FISHERIES PROGRAMMES FOR FRANCE AND SWEDEN.
January 18, 2008... The European Commission has approved the fisheries and aquaculture operational programmes 2007-2013 for France and Sweden to be co-financed by the European Fisheries Fund (EFF). The programmes have five priorities: 1. adaptation of the EU...

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN CYPRUS.
January 18, 2008... A European Commission decision to ease the foot and mouth disease restrictions in Cyprus was endorsed by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on 10 January. In light of the fact that there have been no new outbreaks of the...

FISHERIES POLICY : FOUR OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES APPROVED FOR 2007-2013.
January 18, 2008... The fisheries and aquaculture operational programmes for Italy, Portugal, Estonia and Romania for the period 2007-2013 have been approved by the European Commission. The programmes are co-financed by the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) with a...

BIOTECHNOLOGY : FUTURE OF GMOS HANGS ON CO-EXISTENCE ARRANGEMENTS.(Genetically modified organisms)
January 18, 2008... According to several studies presented in late December to the network of European experts on the co-existence between conventional and GMO crops, many farmers in the EU are apparently willing to adopt transgenics, provided that measures aimed...

GMOS: FRANCE TO ACTIVATE SAFEGUARD CLAUSE.
January 18, 2008... France will not cultivate any GMO in 2008, it decided on 11 January. The decision is based on the application of the precaution principle' and comes amidst growing controversy over genetically modified organisms, Paris will initiate the...

INDIA'S ROLE IN WORLD AGRICULTURE.
January 18, 2008... India is among the world's leading agricultural producers and yet its trade flows are relatively modest compared with other main players. However, given the size of Indian agriculture, even small changes in its trade have a potentially large...

ANIMAL HEALTH : MEMBER STATES SEEK AID FOR BLUETONGUE VACCINATION.
January 18, 2008... France, backed by several other member states, requested at the Agriculture Council on 17 December the release of Community funds for a massive vaccination of herds against bluetongue disease. According to the latest European poll (14...

EU/RUSSIA : MOSCOW LIFTS BAN ON POLISH MEAT, UPHOLDS EMBARGO ON PLANTS.
January 18, 2008... Russia has lifted its embargo on imports of Polish meat, ending a dispute that has been dragging on for over two years, putting a strain on Moscow's relations with the European Union. Following a political agreement reached last week at...

AGRICULTURA AID : NEW RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES ADOPTED.
January 18, 2008... The rural development programmes presented for the 2007-2013 financing period by Bulgaria, Finland (Aland Islands), France (Guyana, Corsica) Germany (national framework), Italy (four regions), Latvia, Malta, Portugal (Madeira), Spain (four...

ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL : NO DEAL ON SOIL PROTECTION DIRECTIVE.(Brief article)
January 18, 2008... The proposal for a directive on soil protection (COM(2006)232) is having problems gathering momentum despite the support of the European Parliament in first reading. Five countries are opposed to it - the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France...

NO DECISION ON GMO MAIZE.
January 18, 2008... The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on 20 December returned no definitive opinion either for or against the proposal to authorise the genetically modified GA21 maize for import and processing, and for food and feed use....

PROTECTION MEASURES FOR US RICE.(Brief article)
January 18, 2008... The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on 20 December reviewed the measures in place to prevent the unauthorised genetically modified (GM) rice LL601 from entering the European Union. Following discussions with the European...

STATISTICS : REAL INCOME PER WORKER UP BY 4.7%.(Brief article)
January 18, 2008... In the EU, real agricultural income per worker(1) has risen by 4.7% in 2007, after increasing by 3.9% in 2006. This increase results from a growth in real agricultural income (+2.6%), together with a reduction in agricultural labour input...

RESTRICTIONS ON BRAZILIAN BEEF.
January 18, 2008... The EU has decided to reduce imports of Brazilian beef starting from 31 January 2008 in order to protect the cattle livestock of the EU27. Member states gave their support, on 19 December, to the European Commission's proposal to limit imports...

AGRICULTURAL AID : SEVENTEEN MEMBER STATES ORDERED TO REPAY 256.3MN EURO.(Brief article)
January 18, 2008... Due to late payments and poor monitoring for funding granted under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the European Commission asked seventeen member states on 20 December to repay 256.3 million corresponding to this irregular expenditure....

EU/US : TRADE IN FOOD PRODUCTS FROM CLONED ANIMALS SET FOR APPROVAL.
January 18, 2008... The EU will soon have to tackle the thorny issue of whether to allow trade in food products derived from cloned animals. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected in the coming days to give the all clear for companies to market meat...

EU/US : WASHINGTON CONTINUES TO PRESSURE EU ON TRANSGENICS.
January 18, 2008... By agreeing to sign a sequence agreement' with the European Union, on 14 January, the United States chose to prolong the negotiations in the dispute between the two parties over the marketing of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In the...

CONSUMER POLICY : NUTRITIONAL LABELLING TO COMBAT OBESITY.
January 31, 2008... The EU's Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou will be presenting, on 30 January, his proposal for a general revamping of the information shown on food packaging. The Commission's draft regulation - almost 100 pages long - is the first concrete...

AGENDA.(Calendar)
January 31, 2008... COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AGRICULTURE COUNCIL 18-19 February, Brussels Draft Agenda: - Communication from the Commission "Preparing for the 'Health Check' of the CAP reform" Policy debate - (poss.) Proposal for a Council...

BLUEFIN TUNA: WWF CALLS FOR BOYCOTT.
January 31, 2008... The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) is urging retailers to follow the lead of certain major distributors - Auchan (France), Carrefour (Italy), Coop (Italy and Switzerland) and ICA (Norway) - by boycotting sales of Mediterranean bluefin tuna...

BLUETONGUE VACCINATION PLAN.
January 31, 2008... As Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou had already hinted in late December, it has been decided that the European Commission will finance, from March or April, a vaccination campaign in the European Union to halt the spread of bluetongue...

EU/NORWAY/WTO : COMMISSION CLAIMS VICTORY IN NORWAY SALMON DISPUTE.
January 31, 2008... The EU claimed victory at the World Trade Organisation in its dispute with Norway over salmon imports, on 15 January in Geneva. The European Commission stated that the panel report adopted by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body on Norway's...

BIOFUELS : COMMISSION IN CORNER AS JRC REPORT QUESTIONS EU STRATEGY.
January 31, 2008... One of the documents on the table as the European Commission issues its energy and climate package is a working paper by scientists at the Joint Research Centre (JRC). Entitled Biofuels in the European context: Facts, uncertainties and...

FOOD : COMMISSION PROPOSES GREATER HARMONISATION OF LABELS.
January 31, 2008... Nutritional labels, allergen labels and clarification of standards for origin labels are the main points of the draft regulation on food labelling, tabled by the European Commission on 30 January. The regulation will apply to all packaged...

AGRICULTURE COUNCIL : COMPROMISE REACHED ON SIMPLIFICATION OF CONDITIONALITY REGIME.
January 31, 2008... The EU's agriculture ministers reached a unanimous compromise, on 21 January in Brussels, on the simplification of the conditionality regime for direct aid (respect for obligations related to public, animal or environmental health), at producer...

FISHERIES POLICY : DEBATE CONTINUES OVER CFP MANAGEMENT INSTRUMENTS.
January 31, 2008... The European Commission "took note" of the declarations by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, on 19 January, according to which it is necessary to "take a new look at the system of fishing quotas set by the European Union". A spokesperson for...

EU/MAURITANIA FISHERIES AGREEMENT.
January 31, 2008... A new protocol was signed by the European Union and Mauritania on 29 January, updating the 2006 protocol concluded under the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the two parties. The text paves the way for the organisation of technical...

EU/THAILAND/WTO : EU STRIKES OUT AGAINST THAI CUSTOMS RULES ON ALCOHOL.
January 31, 2008... On 27 January, the European Commission applied to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to initiate a consultation procedure with Thailand. The EU maintains that Thailand's customs practices penalise European exports of wine and spirits. ...

AGRICULTURE COUNCIL : FISCHER BOEL: FREE SCHOOL FRUIT SCHEME "BEFORE SUMMER".
January 31, 2008... The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Mariann Fischer Boel, said on 21 January in the Agriculture Council in Brussels that she would present the legislative proposals "before summer" to quickly launch free fruit distribution programmes in...

AGRICULTURAL POLICY : GREEN LIGHT TO SATELLITE MONITORING OF FARMLAND.
January 31, 2008... The EU's agriculture ministers adopted without debate, on 21 January, a regulation on remote sensing applications in the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy for 2008-2013. The European Commission maintains that aerial survey and...

RURAL DEVELOPMENT : NEW SET OF PROGRAMMES APPROVED.
January 31, 2008... Rural development programmes for the 2007-2013 financing period were approved for four member states on 24 January by the Rural Development Committee (which consists of representatives of the 27 member states), following those cleared a few...

WINE : PRODUCER COUNTRIES HOSTILE TO NUTRITIONAL LABELLING.
January 31, 2008... Agriculture ministers from the EU's eight wine-producing countries sent, on 21 January, a letter to the Health Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, asking him to exclude wine from the future legislation on the labelling of foodstuffs. Elena Espinosa...

AGRICULTURAL POLICY : SCHEME FOR LINEN AND HEMP RENEWED FOR ONE YEAR.
January 31, 2008... Wanting to take time to reflect, the European Commission has proposed to the EU's Council of Ministers to maintain the aid scheme in force in the linen and hemp sector for 2008-09, even though this was supposed to end in June this year. The...

FISHERIES POLICY : SIMPLIFIED BUT STRENGTHENED RULES FOR CONTROLS.
January 31, 2008... Developing and strengthening control mechanisms as an essential instrument of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) will be at the heart of the European Commission's priorities in this sector for 2008. Presenting his priorities for fisheries and...

FISHERIES POLICY : THREE NEW OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES ADOPTED.
January 31, 2008... The European Commission approved, on 18 January, the financial provisions of the fisheries and aquaculture operational programmes 2007-2013 for Austria, Bulgaria and the Netherlands. Co-financed by the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), the...

EU/BRAZIL : TOWARDS AN EMBARGO ON BRAZILIAN BOVINE MEAT.
January 31, 2008... The Commission has told the Brazilian authorities that, in the first instance, it would "not be credible" for the list of breeders certified to export to the EU to exceed 3% of the 10,000 sites in the country. It has therefore refused the list...

EU/US : WASHINGTON'S BIODIESEL SUBSIDIES IRK COMMISSION.
January 31, 2008... The EU is getting increasingly worried about a recent sharp rise in heavily-subsidised American exports of biodiesel to Europe. John Bruton, the EU's ambassador in Washington, has slammed the US for not repealing these subsidies in the US...