Europe Agri articles from July 2007

Europe Agri archives from July 2007

FISHERIES : EXPERTS ADVISE AGAINST REOPENING ANCHOVY FISHERY.
July 13, 2007... The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) of the European Commission finalised, on 29 June, its advice on Bay of Biscay anchovy. While there are clear signs that the stock situation has improved compared to 2005,...

AGENDA.
July 13, 2007... Council of Ministers Agriculture Council The following points will be discussed at this session: - Presidency Work Programme. Presentation - Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the placing on the market of a potato...

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS : 38.9 MN EURO EARMARKED FOR PRODUCT PROMOTION.
July 13, 2007... The European Commission approved on 10 July 23 programmes in 11 member states to provide information on and to promote agricultural products in the European Union. The total budget of the programmes running between one and three years is 77.7...

BIRD FLU HITS THREE MEMBER STATES.
July 13, 2007... The European Commission has been informed by the French and the Austrian authorities of new suspected cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in their territories. Germany has also confirmed the occurrence of the disease in...

AGRICULTURAL POLICY : CAP HEALTH CHECK' TAKING SHAPE.
July 13, 2007... In a communication scheduled for adoption on 21 November and drafted in preparation for the health check' of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) scheduled for 2008, the European Commission outlines main areas suggested as follows:...

FISHERIES : COMMISSION AIMS TO IMPROVE THE TECHNICAL MEANS OF FISHING.
July 13, 2007... The campaign against by-catch and discards is focussing on improving fishing gear. It was to this end that the European Commission and European manufacturers of fishing nets met on 4 July to discuss the problems the manufacturers are...

BIOFUELS : COMMISSION CONFERENCE PUSHES BIOFUELS, BUT CRITICS NOT CONVINCED.
July 13, 2007... The European Commission hosts a high-level conference on biofuels trade on 5-6 July. Aside from keynote speeches by Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Commissioners Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Andris Piebalgs, as well as three other...

WINE SECTOR REFORM : COMMISSIONaDEFENDS ITS PROPOSAL AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF CRITICISM.
July 13, 2007... EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel firmly defended, on 4 July, the key points of her proposal for reform of the common market organisation (CMO) for wine after getting the stamp of approval from her fellow commissioners. In spite...

NITRATES : COMMISSION REFERS AGAIN FRANCE TO THE COURT OVER NITRATE POLLUTION.
July 13, 2007... France is again brought before the European Cour of Justice over the persisting problem of high nitrate levels in drinking water in Brittany. The European Commission decided on 27 June to request the ECJ to impose a fine of over 28 million on...

FISHERIES : CONFERENCE MAKES PROGRESS IN FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL FISHING.
July 13, 2007... "Tangible progress has been achieved in recent years in the fight against illegal fishing in the North Atlantic, a success which shows the value of international cooperation on this subject," stated Commissioner for Fisheries Jo Borg at the...

BIOFUELS : CONFERENCE PROMOTES SUSTAINABILITY AND OPEN MARKET.(Conference news)
July 13, 2007... Are biofuels the universal panacea against global warming and to ensuring the security of energy supply? These two questions were at the core of debates held at the first international conference on biofuels organised in Brussels by the...

EU/UN/BIODIVERSITY : COUNCIL PREPARES FOR MAJOR INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS.
July 13, 2007... Meeting on 28 June, EU environment ministers gave the European Commission a mandate to negotiate - on behalf of the European Community - rules and procedures in terms of responsibility and reparation of damages resulting from cross-border...

DEBATE ON GMO POTATO POSTPONED.
July 13, 2007... Announced as an issue unlikely to be resolved, the debate by EU environment ministers about a genetically modified potato (Solanum tuberosum L.line EH92-527-1 by the German company BASF) did not take place: on the eve of the meeting of 28 June,...

ENVIRONMENT : DRAFT DIRECTIVE ON PESTICIDES WELL RECEIVED IN PARLIAMENT.
July 13, 2007... The European Parliament's Environment Committee is supporting the draft directive of July 2006 on the sustainable use of pesticides, declaring itself in favour of the aerial spraying ban and advocating a charging system to finance national...

ALCOHOL : EP TO VOTE IN JULY ON PROPOSED EXCISE DUTY HIKE.
July 13, 2007... This case is worth highlighting, if only because of its exceptional nature. Rejected by members of the European Parliament during the latest plenary session, the report by Astrid Lulling (EPP-ED, Luxembourg) was submitted for a second vote in...

EU-GREENLAND FISHERIES DEAL.
July 13, 2007... The EU's Council of Ministers formally approved a new partnership agreement between the EU and Greenland on 28 June. It came into force ahead of time on 1 January 2007 and it will be applicable until 2012. As part of the deal, the Commission...

TRADE : EU UNHAPPY WITH US REQUEST FOR A WTO PANEL ON BANANAS.
July 13, 2007... The European Commission has roundly criticised the US request for a panel at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the EU's banana regime, filed on 29 June in Geneva. It is an "unfortunate" decision which "delivers a blow to attempts by...

FRANCE REFERRED TO COURT ON PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS.(Brief article)
July 13, 2007... The European Commission decided on 29 June to refer France to the European Court of Justice for its ban on the parallel import of plant protection products. The Commission considers that several provisions in the French law create obstacles to...

AGRICULTURAL MARKETS : GROWING BIO-FUEL DEMAND UNDERPINNING HIGHER PRICES.
July 13, 2007... Increased demand for bio-fuels is causing fundamental changes to agricultural markets that could drive up world prices for many farm products, according to a new report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and development...

HANDBOOK ON GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS.
July 13, 2007... The European Commission published a new handbook on Geographical Indications' on 27 June to help European businesses protect their rights across the world. Geographical Indications (GIs) are forms of identification that identify a product...

FOODSTUFFS : HEALTH ALERTS DOWN BY 5% IN 2006.(Report)
July 13, 2007... The Community Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) was called upon less in 2006 than in 2005, according to the European Commission in its annual report on health alerts, which for the first time records a 5% reduction in incidents. But...

ENVIRONMENT : INFRINGEMENT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST HUNGARY'S PACKAGING TAX.
July 13, 2007... The European Commission sent a reasoned opinion (the second phase of an infringement procedure) to Hungary on 6 July, saying that it should modify its legislation on environmental charges on drinks packaging. Budapest has two months to answer...

EU/INDIA/WTO : NEW DELHI GIVES IN ON DUTIES ON WINE AND SPIRITS.
July 13, 2007... After being taken before the World Trade Organisation by the EU, India has yielded on the issue of additional customs duties on wine and spirits. The Indian government announced on 4 July that it was scrapping the additional taxes on the import...

WINE : OVER 56,000 HECTARES OF ILLEGAL VINES.
July 13, 2007... In a report by the European Commission on the administration of vine-planting rights during the period 2000-2006, it was estimated that there are 120,507 hectares of illegal vineyards in the Union. 55,088 ha are located in Spain, 52,604 in...

WINE REFORM : THE FIGURES IN THE DRAFT REFORM OF THE WINE OCM.
July 13, 2007... The new common organisation of the market in wine, according to the draft reform of the EU's AgricultureaCommissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, which the Commission submitted on 4 July, is set to have a budget of around 1.3 thousand million euros,...

DOHA ROUND : TIMETABLE IS NOW SEEN EMERGING.
July 13, 2007... The timetable for consultations to decide on the future of the Doha Round, on its last legs, is taking shape. Following the failure between G4 members (EU, United States, Brazil and India) on 21 June in Potsdam, WTO members will continue their...

FISHERIES : WWF DENOUNCES "DRAMATIC" IMPACT OF SUBSIDIES.
July 13, 2007... With the European Commission set to adopt, on 24 July, a new regulation on de minimis aid for fisheries, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) denounces the "dramatic" impact of fuel subsidies on fishing activity in a study published on 5 July....

FISHERIES : BAY OF BISCAY ANCHOVY FISHERY TO REMAIN CLOSED.
July 26, 2007... In spite of the direct intervention of French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, during a personal visit to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on 11 July followed by a phone conversation with him on 18 July, the Commission decided...

FOOD SAFETY : CANCER FEARS PROMPT EU TO BAN RED 2G COLOURING.
July 26, 2007... Experts of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, on July 20, unanimously supported a European Commission proposal to prohibit the food colouring Red 2G' because of potential carcinogenic risks. Until now, Red 2G...

ENVIRONMENT : COMMISSION OPENS DEBATE ON WATER SCARCITY.(Report)
July 26, 2007... "Europe needs to create a water-efficient economy the same way it has done for energy," commented Peter Gammeltoft, head of the Water Unit at the Environment Directorate-General, as he presented on 18 July the European Commission's...

CEREALS : COMMISSION PROPOSES ZERO SET-ASIDE RATE.
July 26, 2007... Responding to the requests of several member states concerned with the prospect of rising cereal prices, EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel proposed, prior to the opening of the Agriculture Council on 16 July, to set at 0% the...

COMMISSION TO DECIDE ON GMO POTATOES.
July 26, 2007... The EU Agriculture Council failed to rally a qualified majority, on 16 July in Brussels, to act on the European Commission's proposal to authorise the marketing of a potato product (Solanum tuberosum L. line EH92-527-1) genetically modified to...

FOOD INDUSTRY : CONFECTIONERY INDUSTRY ALARMED OVER PRICE INCREASES.
July 26, 2007... The European chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industry is concerned about recent price increases for raw materials, such as dairy products, cereals, vegetable oils, cocoa and hazelnuts, in the European Union. "Dairy product supply is very...

BIOFUELS : CONFUSING CONSULTATION ON BIOFUELS.
July 26, 2007... The Commission, which is set to publish a renewable energy Directive before the end of the year, faces a range of very contradictory positions from environmentalists, industry, producers and ordinary citizens. The EU's Energy Commissioner...

DIRECTIVE ON PRE-PACKED PRODUCTS.(European Union)(Brief article)
July 26, 2007... The EU Council adopted on 16 July, in second reading and following an agreement with the European Parliament, the Directive laying down rules on nominal quantities for pre-packed products This directive is aimed at replacing Directives...

PHYTOSANITARY PRODUCTS : ECJ ANNULS DIRECTIVE RELATING TO PARAQUAT.
July 26, 2007... Procedures that have not been respected and violation of the principles of integration, precaution and the principle of a high level of protection for human and animal health. These are the points that justify the EU Court of Justice's...

FOODSTUFFS : EP ABANDONS CO-DECISION ON ENZYMES, ADDITIVES AND AROMAS.
July 26, 2007... MEPs finally abandoned the co-decision procedure (in which the European Parliament and the Council co-decide) in the framework of updating the list of additives, enzymes and aromas authorised in the EU while strengthening consumer protection....

DOHA ROUND : EU-27 EXPRESS RESERVATIONS ABOUT WTO PROPOSALS.
July 26, 2007... Most of the EU member states have misgivings about the proposals tabled by the WTO to kick-start the Doha Round trade talks and are asking the European Commission to negotiate firmly to secure improvements. At a dinner on 22 July in Brussels,...

EU-CHINA TRADEMARK DEAL.
July 26, 2007... On 11 July, the EU and Beijing exchanged applications for the protection of geographical indications (GIs) on ten products each from the European Union and China. The two sides will now process the applications based on the principles of equal,...

FOOD & BEVERAGES : EU PRICE LEVELS RANGE FROM ONE TO TWO AND HALF.
July 26, 2007... In 2006, the price level of a comparable basket of food and non-alcoholic beverages was two and half times higher in the most expensive EU27 Member State than in the cheapest one. The range was similar for alcoholic beverages, but was much...

DOHA ROUND : EU REACTS TO WTO COMPROMISE DOCUMENTS WITH CAUTION.(European Union. European Commission and World Trade Organization)
July 26, 2007... The European Commission reacted with cautious optimism following the World Trade Organisation's presentation of the compromise documents intended to re-launch the Doha Round negotiations. "This is a very useful step forward," commented the...

EU SUSPENDS WTO COMPLAINT AGAINST INDIA.
July 26, 2007... The EU has temporarily suspended its World Trade Organisation complaint against India's import duties on alcoholic drinks after India cut some of the duties. The European Commission announced its decision on 16 July, following India's 5 July...

DOHA ROUND : FRANCE CALLS FOR "NEGOTIATIONS ON NEW GROUNDS".
July 26, 2007... In the light of the Doha Round stalemate, France has called for a thorough debate on the future of multilateral negotiations, making it even less likely that talks in Geneva will succeed. On 16 July, from the sidelines of the Agriculture...

DOHA ROUND : FRANCE SLAMS WTO DRAFT COMPROMISE.
July 26, 2007... France has denounced the draft compromise presented at the World Trade Organisation on 17 July with a view to jump-starting the Doha Round of trade talks. French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier was extremely critical, on 18 July, of the...

SECURITY : FRATTINI URGES ACTION AGAINST THREAT OF BIOTERRORISM.
July 26, 2007... How can the EU prepare for the growing risk of bioterrorist attacks? With his colleague, Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, EU Security Commissioner Franco Frattini would like to launch debate at the European level. On 11 July, the Commission...

FOOD INDUSTRY : INVESTMENT AND SELF-REGULATION ARE PRIORITIES FOR FOOD INDUSTRY.
July 26, 2007... The Confederation of the Food and Drinks Industry of the EU (CIAA) urges the Portuguese Presidency of the EU and other EU institutions to consider the demands of the food business in its latest benchmarking report. The study underlines the...

GMO : MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS POOL FORCES TO DEFEND GMOS.(Genetically modified organisms)
July 26, 2007... The European Commission says that the risk of a shortage of animal feed should indeed be taken seriously, especially if the European Union continues to pursue its policy of refusing entry into the EU to all shipments of goods with even the most...

ENVIRONMENT : MEMBER STATES BELEAGUERED BY DROUGHT AND FIRES CALL FOR HELP.
July 26, 2007... The summer heat wave, accentuated by climate change, is taking a heavy toll on southern Europe, causing a drought in Romania and Bulgaria and forest fires in Cyprus. The EU agriculture ministers, meeting on 16 July, heard reports in the form of...

FISHERIES POLICY : MEMBER STATES LAUNCH JOINT FISHERY CONTROLS IN THE NORTH SEA.
July 26, 2007... On 13 July, the Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA) adopted an operational plan for joint multi-national fishery controls in the North Sea and adjacent areas. This marks the start of an innovative and coordinated effort to combat...

EU/BRAZIL : MEPS AT ODDS WITH COMMISSION OVER BRAZILIAN BEEF IMPORTS.
July 26, 2007... The conditions in which the beef that the European Union imports from Brazil is produced, as set out in a report by Irish and Scottish beef farmers presented to the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee on 16 July in Brussels, gave rise...

MILK PRODUCTS : MEPS BACK REFORM OF MILK MARKET.
July 26, 2007... On the whole, members of the European Parliament support the European Commission's proposed reform of the milk market, provided the resulting savings benefit the sector. That is the thrust of three reports by Elisabeth Jeggle (EPP-ED, Germany),...

NETWORK FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT.
July 26, 2007... The European Commission launched on 16 July a call for tender for a technical assistance contract concerning the European Evaluation Network for Rural Development. In line with the provisions of Regulation 1698/2005 on support for rural...

EXCISE DUTY ON ALCOHOL : PARLIAMENT REJECTS INCREASE IN MINIMUM RATES.(Brief article)
July 26, 2007... MEP Astrid Lulling (EPP-ED, Luxembourg) is over the moon. For several weeks, she has been calling for the pure and simple abolition of minimum excise duties in Europe. While she certainly did not win the case (the European Parliament did not...

FISHERIES POLICY : PORTUGAL CALLS FOR SUSTAINABLE FISHING.
July 26, 2007... Portugal is a country "of the sea" and Jaime Silva, the Portuguese minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries and president of the Fisheries Council until 31 December 2007 has every intention of making sure that this fact is...

POULTRY LABELLING RULES IN ITALY.
July 26, 2007... The European Commission sent a reasoned opinion (the second stage of infringement proceedings) to Italy on 19 July over its 2005 labelling legislation setting out that Italian producers and the first recipients of poultry meat are obliged to...

AGRICULTURE COUNCIL : PRODUCER COUNTRIES DIVIDED OVER WINE REFORM.
July 26, 2007... The EU's leading wine producer countries did not put up a common front, on 16 July, at the first exchange of views on reform of the common market organisation for the wine sector, presented by Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel on 4 July. At the...

CROP AREAS : RAPESSEED, CEREALS AND SUGAR BEET, MAIN CROP AREAS IN THE EU.
July 26, 2007... According to Eurostat estimates, areas under rapeseed increased strongly in response to the substantial demand for bio-energy, in particular, bio-diester. Areas under cereals are estimated to have increased by 1.5%. In contrast, sugar beet...

WTO/DOHA : SPLITS EMERGE IN US OVER FARM SUBSIDY LEVELS.
July 26, 2007... With debate in the Doha round of world trade talks focussing heavily on US farm subsidy levels, divisions between key players inside the US are emerging over what the ceiling on such supports should be. On the one hand, sources close to US...

AGRICULTURE COUNCIL : SUGAR SECTOR REFORM: AGREEMENT EXPECTED IN SEPTEMBER.
July 26, 2007... The EU's agriculture ministers, meeting on 16 July in Brussels, discussed the plan to reform the sugar sector, which the European Commission is already working on. It is hoped that an agreement can be reached in September, as the opinion of the...

TRANSITIONAL PERIOD FOR AGRICULTURAL AID.(Brief article)
July 26, 2007... The ten new member states using the Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS) as part of their agricultural aid systems submitted a request to the Agriculture Council, on 16 July, for a transitional period for implementing cross-compliance. The...

EU/WTO : TUNA SECTOR FEARS LOSS OF CUSTOMS PROTECTION.
July 26, 2007... The European tuna industry fears that the Doha Round talks may dismantle its customs protection and plunge the entire sector into a crisis. Juan Vieites Baptista de Sousa, president of Eurothon, the European professional association...

EU/US/WTO : WORLD TRADE BODY SETS UP PANEL ON EU BANANA RULES.
July 26, 2007... Following a complaint lodged by the United States on 29 June, the World Trade Organisation has set up a new panel to rule on the legality of EU banana import rules. The WTO Dispute Settlement Body announced on 12 July the creation of a special...