Europe Agri articles from June 2003

Europe Agri archives from June 2003

DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN: VALENCIAN LEMONS TO GET EU GEOGRAPHIC INDICATION.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The European Commission has proposed the registration of the name "Citricos Valencianos or Citrics Valencians" as a protected geographic indication in the context of Regulation 2081/92 concerning the protection of geographic indications and...

MINERAL WATER: COMMISSION PROPOSES DIRECTIVE ON CONCENTRATIONS OF CONSTITUENTS.
June 6, 2003... Council Directive 80/777 on the approximation of the legislation of the Member States concerning the exploitation and marketing of natural mineral waters, last amended by Directive 96/70, provides scope for the adoption of additional measures...

ORGANIC MEAT: SURPLUS CAPACITY ON EUROPEAN MARKET.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The spectre of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has since receded and demand for organic meat has fallen off, leading to over-capacity in countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom which are becoming self-sufficient after serving as...

BIOTECHNOLOGY: EURO COOP WARNS OVER PREMATURE LIFTING OF GM MORATORIUM.
June 6, 2003... Whilst the United States is increasing the pressure for GMOs to be traded within Europe, Euro Coop recalls that last March's Eurobarometer poll on "Europeans and Biotechnology in 2002" confirmed that the great majority of European consumers did...

RESEARCH: COMMISSION LAUNCHES ON-LINE BIOTECHNOLOGY RESOURCE PORTAL.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... One of the features of the website is a Bioforum, where specialists and generalists can exchange views and experiences on topical biotech issues. The current question for debate is: how can life sciences and biotech help meet European society's...

GENETIC ENGINEERING: MEPS APPROVE REGULATION ON TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENTS OF GMOS.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg on June 4, the European Parliament adopted at second reading (co-decision procedure) the report by Jonas Sjostedt (EUL/NGL, Sweden) on the proposal for a Regulation governing the cross-border movement of...

CAP REFORM: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S OPINION TRIES TO CUSHION PRICE CUT BLOW.(Common Agricultural Policy)
June 6, 2003... The eight consultation reports are Parliament's answer to Franz Fischler's January 22 legislative proposals on CAP reform, and consist of a number of amendments to the original texts from the Commission. They were adopted by a majority sitting...

CAP REFORM: HIGH-LEVEL GROUP MEETS AGAIN.(Common Agricultural Policy)
June 6, 2003... Cross-compliance. The new text includes the streamlined list of 18 pieces of EU legislation that could form the basis of environmental criteria that farmers have to fulfil before they receive their direct payments. This shortened list of...

IGC CUTS WORLD WHEAT OUTPUT FORECAST FOR 2003.(International Grains Council)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The International Grains Council (IGC) said on May 29 that 2003 world wheat output would be 582 million tonnes, down eight million on last month's forecast but up from 566 million in 2002. In its first forecast of the next coarse grains...

COMMUNITY RESEARCH PROJECT ON NUTRITION AND HEALTH.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2003... A new research project on future trends in nutrition and health in Europe is to be presented on 27 June in Brussels. The project entitled "Nutrition and health 2020 - future scenarios for a health conscious society" will explore how nutrition...

COMMISSION BANS IMPORTS OF CARCINOGENIC HOT CHILLI.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2003... Following the advice of EU Member States represented on the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH), the European Commission endorsed on June 18 emergency measures to stop the import into the EU of hot chilli products...

HERBICIDES: SCIENTISTS DEVELOP ROBOT CAPABLE OF SNIFFING OUT WEEDS.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2003... Trials by the team from the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Aalborg University suggest that by adopting such targeted spraying techniques, farmers could reduce their use of herbicide by up to 70%. The economic impact of such a...

GENETIC ENGINEERING: SWISS PARLIAMENT VOTES TO REJECT GM MORATORIUM.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2003... EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, has welcomed the June 12 decision by the Swiss Parliament to reject the moratorium on genetically-modified crops. The Lower House voted to reject the moratorium by a narrow margin of...

ANIMAL FEED: COMPOUND FEED INDUSTRY HOPING FOR LAST-MINUTE "PROTEIN PLAN".
June 20, 2003... Mr Fischler's original proposals for reforming the CAP include a 5% cut in cereal prices, and end to intervention measures on rye and a continuation of the current support for protein crops, which translates into a per hectare payment of Euro...

CAP REFORM: "MAKE OR BREAK" FOR THE COMMISSION, AS TALKS HIT BRICK WALL.(Common Agricultural Policy)
June 20, 2003... The basic compromise on offer from the Commission remains focused on allowing a certain percentage of production-linked subsidies in the cereal and beef sectors. Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler returned to the June 17 formula of...

PORTUGUESE FARMING INDUSTRY STILL SUFFERS FROM STRUCTURAL WEAKNESSES.
June 20, 2003... In the report it adopted on June 19 on Portuguese agriculture, the European Commission highlights steady progress but also a number of structural weaknesses. It therefore invites the country to speed up structural adjustment, support the...

OECD REPORTS SHOWS EU FARM SUPPORT INCREASING.
June 20, 2003... Global farm support did not increase over the period 2000-2002, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The report, called "Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries: Monitoring and...

SOUTHERN AFRICA: UN AGENCIES WARN THAT FOOD AID NEEDS IN REMAIN SUBSTANTIAL.
June 20, 2003... The joint FAO/WFP crop and food supply assessment missions bring together leading agricultural and food vulnerability specialists and include observers from governments, SADC, donor agencies and NGOs. The reports constitute the most objective...

NEW PUBLICATION.(Dictionnaire raisonne de biologie)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2003... Dictionnaire raisonne de biologie (Concise Illustrated Biology Dictionary) Morere Jean-Louis et R. Pujol Collection INRA (France) - 2003 Price: Euro 225. This descriptive dictionary drawn up by experts at France's Institut...

CEFIC RAISES FUNDS FOR WATER SUPPLY PROJECT IN GUATEMALA.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2003... Seizing the opportunity of World Environment Day on June 5, and its theme of Water = Life, the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) sponsored a major solidarity scheme to help raise money for a sustainable water supply and sanitation...

VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT AND SUEZ INTERESTED IN GELSENWASSER.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2003... French groups Veolia Environnement and Suez are both possible candidates to take over German water distribution company Gelsenwasser. Gelsenwasser is the largest private water distribution company in German with 5,3 million customers, and is on...

AWG ASKS WESTLB TO CLARIFY OR WITHDRAW ITS OFFER.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2003... British company AWG, parent company of Anglian Water, has asked the German savings bank WestLB to clarify its takeover proposal, or to withdraw it, it said in a press release. WestLB, the largest publicly owned German bank, approached AWG in...