Europe Agri articles from March 2007

Europe Agri archives from March 2007

FISCHER BOEL IN INDIA.(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel was from 4 to 11 March in India for a Promotion Tour of "Tasty Europe". She was accompanied by a delegation of top executives from food and drink companies from across the European Union to visit...

HUMANITARIAN AID : 135 MILLION EURO TO ALLEVIATE WORLD HUNGER.
March 9, 2007... The European Commission adopted on 26 February a funding decision of 135 million for food aid to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people facing food shortages due to natural catastrophes, economic and political crises, or armed conflicts....

AGRICULTURAL DENOMINATIONS.(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... The European Commission added on 6 March three denominations for agricultural products and food to the list of protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI). It concerns the Spanish products Aceite...

CEREALS TENDER.
March 9, 2007... The quantities of cereals tendered at the time of the 1 March meeting of the European Commission's Cereals Management Committee concerned sales in the internal market of the Community, mainly for the cattle feeding industries. The committee...

DOHA ROUND : CHIRAC ATTACKS MANDELSON'S TRADE STRATEGY.(French President Jacques Chirac's comments to Peter Mandelson )(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... French President Jacques Chirac has sent an unequivocal message to EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson by warning him against the temptation to make any new concessions on the agricultural aspect of the Doha Round trade negotiations at the...

FISHERIES POLICY : COMMISSIONER BORG PRESENTS HIS 2007 WORK PROGRAMME TO MEPS.
March 9, 2007... Eliminating discards in European fisheries, combating illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, and developing a real maritime policy are the three Commission priority initiatives for 2007, as presented by Joe Borg, the Commissioner...

FISHERIES POLICY : CONSULTATION LAUNCHED ON RIGHTS-BASED MANAGEMENT TOOLS.
March 9, 2007... The European Commission initiated, on 26 February, a wide public consultation on fisheries management. Its aim is to enhance the effectiveness of fisheries management while facilitating attainment of the basic objectives of the Common Fisheries...

DISCRIMINATORY INDIAN DUTIES FOR SPIRIT.(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... The European Spirits Organisation (CEPS) and the Comite europeen des entreprises vins a(CEEV) have expressed much disappointment on 1 March at India's failure to bring its highly discriminatory fiscal treatment of imported wines and spirits...

FISHERIES POLICY : DRASTIC CUTS IN ALLOWABLE CATCHES FOR BLUEFIN TUNA.
March 9, 2007... The European Commission presented, on 27 February, a proposal aimed at bringing down total allowable catches (TACs) of bluefin tuna to 16,779.55 tonnes for 2007 and introducing a number of related measures concerning catch size, the calendar...

EU/RUSSIA : EU EXAMINING MOSCOW'S NEW HEALTH REQUIREMENTS.(European Union)
March 9, 2007... On the eve of the resumption of negotiations aimed at putting an end to the embargo imposed by Russia on the export of Polish foodstuffs, unilaterally determined by Moscow on 12 and 13 March, the Russian health authorities are raising the...

EU-MOROCCO FISHERIES AGREEMENT.
March 9, 2007... The European Commission has welcomed the news of the official ratification of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) by the Kingdom of Morocco, on 6 March, with immediate effect for a period of four years. The EU-Morocco FPA covers six...

ANIMAL HEALTH : EU SETS UP RAPID REACTION VETERINARY TEAM.(European Union)
March 9, 2007... The European Commission, on 27 February, decided to establish an emergency veterinary team, able to respond rapidly to animal disease outbreaks in the EU and third countries. The follow up, fight against and ultimate eradication of bird flu...

ENERGY : FARMERS CRITICISE AGRO-INDUSTRIAL LOBBYING.
March 9, 2007... The biofuels target of 10% in EU transport, having won the support of the Energy Council on 15 February, looks certain to be rubber-stamped at the EU leaders' Spring Council on 8 and 9 March. With this in mind, the European Farmers Coordination...

ENERGY : FISCHER BOEL UNDERLINES ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES FOR FARMERS.
March 9, 2007... Speaking at the annual conference of the National Farmers' Union in the UK, Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel pointed to growing opportunities for European farmers thanks to binding biofuels targets creating a better climate for...

ENVIRONMENT : MEPS CALL FOR BETTER FLOOD PREVENTION MEASURES.
March 9, 2007... It is a heartfelt appeal for prevention that the Environment Committee of the European Parliament sent out on 27 February in adopting the report by Richard Seeber (EPP-ED, Austria) on the proposal for a directive on the evaluation and...

ENLARGEMENT : MEPS STRESS PROBLEMS OF FARMERS FROM NEW MEMBER STATES.
March 9, 2007... Members of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee adopted by a very wide majority, on 27 February, an own-initiative report that is extremely critical of the conditions under which the new EU member states are being brought into the...

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE : MEPS WANT SAFE ORGANIC PRODUCTS WITHOUT GMOS.
March 9, 2007... Stricter standards for the use of plant-health and veterinary products in organic production, stronger guarantees against contamination by genetically modified organisms (GMOs), reliable labelling and tougher inspections, including those on...

MOSCOW INVITES COMMISSION FOR TALKS.(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Russia has invited the European Commission to start a series of meetings,aafter 12 March, on the results of a joint EU-Russia veterinary mission that took place in Poland between 5 and 16 February. "The Commission accepted the invitation...

ENERGY : PAPER INDUSTRY URGES EU LEADERS TO BIN BIOFUEL TARGETS.
March 9, 2007... Ahead of the Spring Summit on 8 and 9 March, industries using agriculture and forestry raw materials called on EU leaders to drop binding biofuel targets. A joint statement by the woodworking, pulp and paper industries, together with the...

SUGAR : REDUCTION IN SUGAR QUOTAS PROPORTIONAL TO RESTRUCTURING EFFORTS.
March 9, 2007... The preventive withdrawal of the production of two million tonnes of sugar in 2007-2008 decided by the European Commission will not apply to member states which have already abandoned 50% of their quota as part of the restructuring programme in...

EU/RUSSIA : RUSSIA THREATENS EU WITH A MEAT BAN ONCE AGAIN.
March 9, 2007... Following a troubled period at the end of 2006, dark clouds are again looming on the horizon of EU-Russia food trade relations. Russia's agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor threatened on 2 March to suspend meat imports from EU countries...

BIOFUELS : SECTOR GIVES PROPOSEDTARGETS A WARM WELCOME.
March 9, 2007... The European Union of Ethanol Producers (UEPA) says that first generation biofuels "offer an immediate response to an immediate threat". The sector has welcomed the binding nature of the Energy Council's target of biofuels accounting for 10% of...

DOHA ROUND : SUBTLE DIPLOMACY NEEDED TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK.
March 9, 2007... The big political announcements in January have given way to subtle diplomacy in a bid to relaunch the multilateral negotiations of the Doha Round, which have been deadlocked since July 2006. The key players in the negotiations held a meeting...

TRADE : THIRTEEN RETAILERS TAKE NUTRITION INITIATIVES.
March 9, 2007... EuroCommerce, representing retail, wholesale and international trade interests, launched on 6 March a Nutrition Manifesto,' highlighting initiatives by 13 European retailers(1) to promote a healthy lifestyle. Later that same day, EuroCommerce...

INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-LOUIS GOURBIN, EUROPEAN BASIC FOODS PLATFORM : THREE MAJOR BASIC FOOD PRODUCERS UNITE.
March 9, 2007... Three major producers of basic foods - (vegetable oils), Lactalis (milk and cheese), Nutrinveste (olive oil) - have set up the European Basic Foods Platform in order to promote the interests the "first food transformation" sector in the...

COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY : A GREEN, LIBERAL AND 'REGIONALISED' EUROPE.
March 23, 2007... The common agricultural policy, the first real Community common policy, a recurring bone of contention between the 'old' member states and, sometimes, a lure for applicant countries, is destined to continue evolving. Profound changes in the...

BENEFICIARIES OF CAP PAYMENTS.(Brief article)
March 23, 2007... The European Commission has published indicative figures on the distribution of direct farm payments per size-class of aid received for the financial year 2005. The figures have been derived from the EAGGF (European Agricultural Guarantee and...

FOOD SAFETY : COMMISSION SEEKS EXPERT OPINION ON CLONING.
March 23, 2007... The European Commission announced on 8 March that it has referred the issue of cloned animals and their offspring to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA has been asked to assess the possible implications of cloning for food safety,...

AGRICULTURAL AIDS : COMMISSION TO DEFINE MORE FLEXIBLE CONDITIONS FOR DIRECT AID.
March 23, 2007... The European Commission, on 28 March, is to adopt a report proposing certain changes to the mechanism that determines the required conditions to qualify for direct aid. It is expected to propose a certain number of changes to this "major...

RURAL DEVELOPMENT : COUNCIL STRESSES NEED TO CREATE JOBS IN RURAL AREAS.
March 23, 2007... With the 2003 Common Agricultural Policy reform, the foundations were created for successfully meeting the challenges of globalisation and the liberalisation of markets. But uncertainty still remains about the effects of CAP reform on...

AGRICULTURE COUNCIL : DIRECT PAYMENTS AND EMPLOYMENT ARE PRIORITIES FOR MEMBER STATES.
March 23, 2007... The conclusions that EU agriculture ministers are to adopt during the Agriculture Council on 18 and 19 March on employment in rural areas will insist on the role of the Common Agricultural Policy's first pillar, ie support measures for the...

FISHERIES POLICY : EU AND FAO SEE EYE TO EYE IN FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL FISHING.
March 23, 2007... "The priorities defined for the coming two years by the FAO's Committee on Fisheries are on the same wavelength as our own international agenda, particularly with regard to the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulateda(IUU) fishing...

EUROPEAN COUNCIL : EU LEADERS AGREE ON BINDING 20% TARGET FOR RENEWABLE ENERGIES.
March 23, 2007... EU heads of state and government reached final agreement on a binding 20% target for renewable energies in overall EU energy consumption by 2020. EU leaders, aside from rubber-stamping agreement on the 10% binding minimum biofuels target,...

ALCOHOL/EUROBAROMETER : EUROPEANS WOULD WELCOME MEASURES TO PROTECT VULNERABLE GROUPS.
March 23, 2007... According to the results of a special Eurobarometer survey Attitudes towards Alcohol', presented by the European Commission on 14 March, men drink more than women, and one in ten Europeans usually drink five or more drinks in one session, which...

EMERGING MARKET : FARM SUPPORT LOW BUT PROTECTIONIST PRESSURE RISING.
March 23, 2007... Government support to agriculture is far lower in the major emerging economies than on average in the developed countries of the OECD. But it is nevertheless rising as pressure mounts to protect farmers in an increasingly competitive global...

BIOTECHNOLOGY : FIVE DISCONTINUED GMOS WITHDRAWN FROM EU MARKETS.(genetically modified organisms )(Brief article)
March 23, 2007... The European Commission's proposals to withdraw from the market five genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which have been allowed to be sold in the European Union up to now, were endorsed by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and...

FOOD SAFETY TESTING.
March 23, 2007... Three new EU reference laboratories will be opened on 16 March, aimed at validating testing methods for specific types of harmful substances found in food and animal feed. The laboratories, set up at the European Commission's Institute for...

FOOT-AND-MOUTH VACCINES FOR TURKEY.
March 23, 2007... A consignment of 1.5 million doses of trivalent vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), supplied by the European Commission to Turkey, will arrive on 9 March as a contribution towards the spring vaccination campaign against this disease...

FRANCE IS LIVING ON BORROWED TIME.(water pollution cases)(Brief article)
March 23, 2007... On 21 March, the European Commission decided to take France to the EU Court of Justice for non-compliance with the Directive on water pollution from nitrates originating from agriculture, in Brittany. This case, accompanied by a daily penalty...

EU/RUSSIA : KYPRIANIOU REMINDS EU HEALTH MINISTERS OF THEIR DUTIES.(Brief article)
March 23, 2007... The European Health Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, during the Agriculture Council on 19 March, called on the EU member states to impose tighter health checks on foodstuffs. Currently engaged in negotiations with Russia hoping to avoid the...

AGRICULTURAL COUNCIL : MEMBER STATES DIVIDED OVER CMO PROPOSAL.(Common Market Organisation )(Brief article)
March 23, 2007... The debate by EU agricultural ministers, on 19 March in Brussels, on the European Commission's proposal to establish a single Common Market Organisation (CMO) to replace the existing 21 CMOs and thus simplify Community regulations, confirmed...

EU/RUSSIA/POLAND : NO BREAKTHROUGH IN TALKS ON RUSSIAN MEAT BAN.
March 23, 2007... The two-day consultations between Moscow and the representatives of Poland, Germany and the European Commission over the continuing Russian ban on Polish meat imports failed to break a stalemate which has been lasting for more than a year. ...

AGRICULTURE COUNCIL : PARLIAMENT SAVOURINGITS VICTORY OVER VOLUNTARY MODULATION.
March 23, 2007... Despite abstention from Latvia, the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers reached a unanimous agreement, on March 19 in Brussels, about a rule enabling the United Kingdom and Portugal to apply voluntary modulation of direct aidsa- ie a maximum of...

VEAL : PARLIAMENT WANTS MORE TRANSPARENT LABELLING FOR VEAL.
March 23, 2007... Meeting in a plenary session on 13 March in Strasbourg, the European Parliament has accepted the broad lines of the European Commission's proposal to clarify the distinctions between the different meats currently being sold under the label of...

ENVIRONMENT : PARLIAMENT WANTS TO BAN TRADE IN SEAL FURS.
March 23, 2007... "The Commission does not have the legislative means to impose an immediate moratorium on the trade in seal furs," declared Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, answering questions by MEPs at the European Parliament's plenary session in...

AGRICULTURE COUNCIL : SOIL STRATEGY REPORTED "TOO CONSTRAINING".
March 23, 2007... On 19 March, EU agriculture ministers warned EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas about the risks of administrative burdens for farmers due to the establishment of a soil framework directive such as that considered in the strategy...