|
No. 200 - 30 October 2009Agriculture on Europa Top
Agricultural and food prices
28/10/2009 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The Commission has agreed a Communication that aims to improve the functioning of the food supply chain in Europe.
The recent sharp decline in agricultural commodity prices alongside persistently high consumer food prices has raised concerns on the efficiency of this crucial sector of the European economy. Improving commercial relationships between actors of the chain will be a significant step towards a more efficient food supply chain ultimately benefiting all actors of the chain and consumers alike.
Top
Milk and milk products
28/10/2009 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The European Commission today agreed to allow Member States to pay farmers a one-off payment of up to EUR 15,000 in state aid. The move forms part of the Commission's ongoing efforts to stabilise incomes for dairy farmers, but is of course open to farmers in all sectors. The decision amends the Temporary Crisis Framework, adopted by the Commission in January 2009, which already provides for various aid possibilities to facilitate access to finance for EU undertakings. With today's Commission decision a separate compatible limited amount of aid of EUR 15,000 for farmers is included into the Framework. This amount can be granted once per undertaking until the end of 2010. Any de-minimis aid already received since the beginning of 2008 has to be deducted from this amount. Aid schemes put in place under this new instrument will have to be open to all primary producers and will have to complement other general crisis measures already put in place by a Member State. The idea of allowing farmers state aid of up to EUR 15,000 formed part of the Commission's Communication on the milk sector of 22 July 2009.
Questions and answers on the Commission's amendment of the Temporary Crisis Framework [pdf]
Top
Rural Development policy 2007-2013: Country files
22/10/2009 Also available in:
DE | EL | FR | IT
The Rural Development Committee approved a first wave of proposals from Member States/regions for using fresh European Union funding for rural development. The Member States/regions in question have proposed amendments to their Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) to make use of extra funding provided by the Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy and the European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP), agreed in November 2008. The extra funding in question totals EUR 4.4 billion for the EU as a whole and must be spent through RDPs in the period 2009 to 2013. Member States/regions choose the priorities on which to spend their funding from a list which includes climate change, restructuring of the dairy sector and broadband for rural areas.
Top
Milk and milk products
Dairy crisis: EU extends intervention period for butter and skimmed milk powder
20/10/2009
European Union agriculture ministers yesterday approved the Commission's proposal to extend the period for buying butter and skimmed milk powder into public intervention storage. This forms the latest part of the Commission's ongoing efforts to stabilise milk prices for dairy farmers.
Normally, intervention buying is limited to 30,000 tonnes of butter and 109,000 tonnes of SMP and is only open between 1 March and 31 August each year. The Commission has already bought butter and SMP well beyond these limits (so far, 83,000 tonnes of butter and 283,000 tonnes of SMP).
Now the Council agreed to extend the period for intervention until the end of February 2010 when the new intervention period begins. Purchases beyond the normal limits are carried out through a tendering procedure.
Top
European School Milk Scheme
School Milk Scheme: Extension of products eligible
15/10/2009
To make the School Milk Scheme more attractive, the Commission has extended the range of dairy products eligible for aid. To achieve this, the minimum milk content for fermented products with fruit has been reduced from 80% to 75%, which makes it possible to add more of other products. The same provision was extended to non-fermented milk products. These changes will allow products like fruit yoghurts and milk drinks with fruit juice to fall under the scope of the scheme. The changes are part of the series of measures proposed in July to help stabilise the dairy market. In July 2008, the School Milk Scheme was already adapted, making it simpler, extending it to secondary schools and increasing the product coverage.
Top
Milk and milk products
15/10/2009 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
Levies for Member States which exceeded their milk quotas come to just over EUR 99 million for the 2008/2009 marketing year, according to a provisional calculation by the European Commission, based on Member States' annual declarations. Last year the total levy amounted to EUR 340 million. Five Member States (Austria, Cyprus, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) exceeded their deliveries quotas. Altogether these account for an overrun of 348,400 tonnes, resulting in a levy of EUR 97 million. Italy exceeded its deliveries quota by 1.5%, the Netherlands exceeded by 1.4% and Austria by 1.2%. For quotas for direct sales to consumers, Italy and the Netherlands reported overruns totalling 7,500 tonnes, resulting in a levy on direct sales of EUR 2.1 million. Total EU milk production in the 2008/2009 quota year (April-March) was 4.2 percent below quota.
Top
Milk and milk products
14/10/2009 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The High Level Experts' Group on Milk met for the first time in Brussels on Tuesday 13 October, holding constructive discussions on contractual relations and bargaining power in the dairy market. The HLG was established by the European Commission to look into the medium and long-term future of the dairy sector, particularly in view of the phase-out of milk quotas, which will be concluded in April 2015. Its work runs in parallel to the measures the Commission is introducing to stabilise the dairy market in the short term. The HLG is chaired by Jean-Luc Demarty, the Commission's Director-General for Agriculture and Rural Development and Member States are represented by senior officials. Further meetings are scheduled to take place once a month, and the HLG will issue its final report by the end of June 2010.
Top
Milk and milk products
09/10/2009 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The European Commission today proposed two changes to the rules governing the dairy sector as part of its continuing efforts to stabilise the milk market. Firstly, and as announced last month by Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, it is proposed that the dairy sector should in future be covered by a disturbance clause which already exists for other farm sectors, to allow a quicker response to future market disturbances. Secondly, for the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 quota years, changes to the operation of quota buying-up schemes by Member States will ensure that bought up quota which is kept in the national reserve should no longer count as part of the national quota when it comes to deciding whether superlevy is due for exceeding the quota. If superlevy is then collected, the part corresponding to the bought-up quota can be used by Member States for restructuring of the sector. These proposals will be discussed by EU agriculture ministers on 19 October. Later this month, the Commission will formally adopt changes to state aid rules to allow Member States to pay farmers up to EUR 15,000 each in national aid before the end of 2010.
Top
Commissioner Fischer Boel's website
Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
Blog entry: "Abracadabra! Where did the money go?" (29/10/2009)
Blog entry: "Greatly Mixed-up Objectives" (23/10/2009)
"Latest Information on the Dairy Market" (Session of the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament, Strasbourg, 19/10/2009)
"Dairy market situation" (Speaking notes at the Agriculture Council of Ministers, Luxembourg, 19/10/2009)
"GMOs: letting the voice of science speak" (Policy Dialogue at "European Policy Centre", Brussels, 15/10/2009)
"Doing things for ourselves" [pdf] (Inaugural award of "Innovation Prize for Women Farmers", Brussels, 15/10/2009)
"Making a virtue of quality" (IV European Forum on Food Quality, Brussels, 08/10/2009)
Blog entry: "Risky business" (07/10/2009)
"The future of sheep production in Europe" (Sheepmeat Forum for Producers and Industry, Brussels, 07/10/2009)
Opening remarks (Informal Agriculture ministers' gathering on milk, Brussels, 05/10/2009)
Top
Publications
What's new on the Commission's "Agriculture and Rural Development" website?
"Quarterly Report on the Dairy Market" (October 2009) [pdf]
October 2009 update on recent agricultural commodity and food price developments in the EU [pdf]
2nd Financial Report on the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) - 2008 financial year
2nd financial report on the financial implementation of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) - Year 2008
Top
EU agricultural product quality policy: PDO, PGI or TSG
Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
For information on applications for registration as well as registrations please consult DOOR - the Database of Origin and Registration
Top
This service is brought to you by European CommissionDirectorate-General for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentCommunication UnitB-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please log in here.
Send your comments and questions to the editor.
To receive a PLAIN TEXT version of the News Digest, please log in and change your subscription.
All previous issues of the Agriculture News Digest are available in the archive.
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than the Agriculture and Rural Development DG.
Legal notice: The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the European Commission and represent their personal views on the subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural Development.(C) European Communities, 2002-2009
No. 195 - 19 March 2009Agriculture on Europa Top
19/03/2009 Also available in:
DA | DE | EL | ES | FR | IT | NL | SL
A total of EUR 126.7 million of EU farm money unduly spent by Member States is claimed back as a result of a decision adopted today by the European Commission. The money returns to the Community budget because of non-compliance with EU rules or inadequate control procedures on agricultural expenditure. Member States are responsible for paying out and checking expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Commission is required to ensure that Member States have made correct use of the funds. Under this latest decision funds will be recovered from Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Italy and Slovenia.
Top
Simplifying the CAP
18/03/2009 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
Thanks to considerable progress already made in simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy and other measures still to be carried out, the Commission is confident that it will meet its objective of reducing the administrative burden arising from the CAP by 25 percent by 2012. This view is supported by the recently adopted opinion on agriculture of the Stoiber group. A new report highlights a number of measures taken over the past three and a half years which reduce red tape for farmers, companies involved in the food business and administrations, and promise to reduce annual costs by hundreds of millions of euros , which will render European farming more competitive.
Since 2005, the Commission has pushed ahead with its CAP Simplification Action Plan, repealed hundreds of obsolete acts, introduced reforms which streamline the CAP, and improved law-making practices and IT systems. A key change was the recent Health Check agreement, which will render the CAP much less complex. Other measures on the Commission's agenda include the possibility of streamlining cross-compliance rules, a more regular review of legislation and possible changes to EU quality policy, including marketing standards and the system of geographical indications.
Details
Top
EU agricultural product quality policy
Commission publishes stakeholders' opinions on agricultural product quality policy
12/03/2009
Today the European Commission publishes the summary of the 560 stakeholder opinions submitted in response to the Green Paper on agricultural product quality policy.
The main conclusions of the consultation are:Support for further simplification of marketing standards while keeping the current legislative approach; clarification and harmonisation of the Geographical Indication schemes and for increased protection at international level; support for improvements to the traditional specialties scheme; improvements in the operation of private and national certification schemes and guidelines should be sufficient; and finally support for compulsory indication of the place-of-farming where justified on a sector-by-sector approach.
Following the results of the consultation on the Green Paper and the conclusions of the Czech Presidency Quality Policy Conference, a Commission Communication is expected to be adopted on 27 May. It will lay down strategic orientations and will be another opportunity to advance the debate before any legislative proposals. Stakeholders will be invited to react to the Communication and legislative proposals could be tabled in 2010.
Details
Top
06/03/2009 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The 2006-2009 scheme for the restructuring of the European sugar industry resulted in the renunciation of 5.8 million tonnes of quota, very close to the initial objective of 6 million tonnes. At the end of this 4-year process, a key element of the 2006 sugar reform, EU quota for sugar and isoglucose has been lowered to 14 million tonnes (of which 13.3 million tonnes for sugar). EU sugar production is now concentrated in 18 Member States (as opposed to 23 before the reform) which enjoy favourable agronomic conditions, and nearly 70 percent of production is in 7 Member States with the highest sugar yields. Domestic prices are showing a downward trend consistent with the objective of the reform to achieve a sustainable and competitive EU sugar sector.
Top
Commission adopts compulsory origin labelling for virgin and extra virgin olive oil
06/03/2009
The European Commission today adopted a new Regulation making it compulsory to label the origin of virgin and extra virgin olive oil. Rules introduced in 2002 established optional labelling for these oils, but this proved insufficient to prevent consumers being misled about the true characteristics and origin of certain products.
Oils originating from just one country will carry the name of the Member State, or of the third country or of the Community. Blends will be labelled either "blend of Community olive oils", "blend of non-Community olive oils" "blend of Community and non-Community olive oils" or equivalent information. Certain terms such as 'fruity', 'green', 'mature', 'mild' and 'well-balanced' - which have recently been defined by the International Olive Council - may also be used on virgin and extra virgin olive oil labels for oils complying with the definitions.
The new rules will apply from 1 July 2009. These rules complement the rules for specific oils which are protected as part of the system of Geographic Indications and are designed to offer further guarantees to consumers that what they buy in a sealed container corresponds with their preferences and expectations.
Top
03/03/2009 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
Connecting the 30% of the EU's rural population that has no high speed internet access should be a priority for achieving 'broadband for all' by 2010, the Commission said today. Improved internet connectivity is a powerful tool to stimulate swift economic recovery. The Commission today outlines how it would use its own support programmes to boost internet networks and services in rural areas, and called on EU Member States to do the same. Good internet access can make farms and companies in rural areas, especially small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), less isolated and more competitive through access to international markets and faster and more efficient ways of doing business. Meanwhile, the European Parliament and the Council are discussing a Commission proposal to make a further € 1 billion available through the European Economic Recovery Plan to spread high speed internet access more widely across all regions of Europe.
Top
Commission seeks technical assistance for the selection of information and promotion programmes related to agricultural products
06/02/2009
The Commission has issued a call for expression of interest with the aim of establishing a list of communication and/or marketing experts with detailed knowledge of the agro-food sector and corresponding markets. From this list the Commission may select, as needed, one or several experts for specific tasks related to the selection of draft proposals for information and promotion programmes for agricultural products on the internal market and in third countries.
Details
Top
Simplifying the CAP
240 agricultural acts withdrawn from EU legislation
05/02/2009
As part of the Commission's drive to reduce the regulatory burden and red-tape and in the framework of the Communication on simplification and better regulation of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Commission today adopted a Communication removing 240 obsolete agricultural legislative acts adopted before 2007 from the legislation in force. In the early stages of EU law, from the 1950s, the number of legislative acts continually increased, many of which were adopted without an expiry date. These pieces of legislation therefore remain formally in force even though their legal effects have ceased, in many cases for a long time. These 240 pieces of legislation which will now be withdrawn relate mostly to temporary measures, exceptional market support measures, granting of financial contributions and transitional measures linked to the accession of New Member States. The acts relate to the following sectors of the CAP: cereals, fruit and vegetables, bananas, wine, milk, beef and veal, rice, oils and fats, sugar and tobacco. The Commission will continue this exercise of cleaning up EU legislation.
Top
Commissioner Fischer Boel's website
Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
Blog entry: "Let's keep it simple!" (19/03/2009)
"The global economic crisis, food security and environmental security" (Second Forum on the Future of Agriculture organised by the European Landowners' Organisation, Brussels, 18/03/2009)
Speaking points on simplification (Press conference, Brussels, 18/03/2009)
Closing remarks (Conference on Quality Policy Prague, 13/03/2009)
"Building on the habit of quality" (Conference on Quality Policy Prague, 12/03/2009)
Blog entry: "Young farmers: A wealth of ideas" (11/03/2009)
Blog entry: "Promoting organic farming - a dynamic sector!" (25/02/2009)
"Organic food and farming: building fresh success on a stronger legal foundation" (BioFach 2009, Nuremberg, 19/02/2009)
Blog entry: "Dairy export refunds a temporary response to an exceptional situation" (11/02/2009)
Top
Publications
What's new on the Commission's "Agriculture and Rural Development" website?
Prospects for agricultural markets and income 2008-2015
National Frameworks for environmental actions in the fruit and vegetable sector
"EU Agricultural commodity and food prices - Update on recent developments - February 2009 update" [pdf]
"Monitoring Agri-trade Policy" (MAP) 01/09, February 2009: "The new US Farm Bill - Zooming in on ACRE"
"Evaluation of the CAP policy on protected designations of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indications (PGI)"
"Study on the Functioning of Land Markets in the EU Member States under the Influence of Measures Applied under the Common Agricultural Policy"
"Agricultural Insurance Schemes 2"
"Study on the Development and Marketing of Non-Market Forest Products and Services"
"Impacts of Climate Change on European Forests and Options for Adaptation"
Top
EU agricultural product quality policy: PDO, PGI or TSG
Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
Applications for registration:
'Traditional Grimsby Smoked Fish': PGI (OJ C 49 - 28/02/2009, p. 9)
'Schwäbische Maultaschen'/'Schwäbische Suppenmaultaschen': PGI (OJ C 41 - 19/02/2009, p. 35)
'Hajdús gi torma': PDO (OJ C 39 - 18/02/2009, p. 32)
'BYeznicky le~ k': PGI (OJ C 38 - 17/02/2009, p. 16)
'Faba de Lourenz ': PGI (OJ C 37 - 14/02/2009, p. 28)
Registrations:
'Aceite de La Alcarria': PDO; 'Radicchio di Verona': PGI; 'Zafferano di Sardegna': PDO; 'Huîtres Marennes Oléron': PGI (OJ L 33 - 03/02/2009, p. 8)
Amendment of specifications:
'Riso Nano Vialone Veronese': PGI (OJ L 71 - 17/03/2009, p. 15)
'Chabichou du Poitou': PDO (OJ L 53 - 26/02/2009, p. 8)
'Bleu des Causses': PDO (OJ L 38 - 07/02/2009, p. 28)
'Gorgonzola': PDO (OJ L 34 - 04/02/2009, p. 16)
Top
Calls for tender
Calls for tender
Contract notices are available in all official EU languages.
Important notice: This selection is not exhaustive. For a complete list of current calls for tenders please log on to Tenders electronic daily.
"Inventory of certification schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs marketed in the EU Member States": Contract notice and tender documents [Deadline for submission: 02/06/2009]
Top
This service is brought to you by European CommissionDirectorate-General for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentCommunication UnitB-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please log in here.
Send your comments and questions to the editor.
To receive a PLAIN TEXT version of the News Digest, please log in and change your subscription.
All previous issues of the Agriculture News Digest are available in the archive.
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than the Agriculture and Rural Development DG.
Legal notice: The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the European Commission and represent their personal views on the subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural Development.(C) European Communities, 2002-2009
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - AGRICULTURE NEWS DIGEST
No. 194, 30 January 2009
Contents:
(1) Food Labelling: the Commission acts against Italy
(2) Commission declares State aid to the fruit and vegetable sector in
France to be incompatible with the common market
(3) Commission investigates Portuguese aid for the collection,
transportation, treatment and destruction of slaughterhouse waste
(4) Commission authorises restructuring aid for French poultry export
firm Tilly-Sabco
(5) Commission proposes EUR 5 billion new investment in energy and
Internet broadband infrastructure in 2009-2010, in support of the EU
recovery plan
(6) EU reintroduces export refunds for dairy products
(7) European Group on Ethics (EGE) asks European Commission to embed
ethical principles in agriculture policies
(8) Results of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council
(9) Dairy market: Commission proposes additional measures to help dairy
sector
(10) European Commission welcomes European Parliament's vote on Plant
Protection Products Regulation
(11) Over 500 responses to Green Paper on agricultural product quality
(12) Measures expected to reduce human salmonellosis caused by eggs
(13) Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
(14) Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
---------------------------------------------------------
(1) FOOD LABELLING: THE COMMISSION ACTS AGAINST ITALY
29/01/2009 - The European Commission decided today to send a reasoned
opinion to Italy for failure to notify national implementing measures as
required by Directive 2007/68/EC (food ingredients). This Directive
establishes a list of food ingredients which must be indicated on the
label of foodstuffs as they are likely to cause adverse reactions in
susceptible individuals. The sending of a "Reasoned Opinion" is the second
step in infringement proceedings under Article 226 of the EC Treaty. Italy
is requested to take the necessary measures to transpose Directive
2007/68/EC in order to avoid the matter being referred to the Court of
Justice.
(2) COMMISSION DECLARES STATE AID TO THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SECTOR IN
FRANCE TO BE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE COMMON MARKET
28/01/2009 - The European Commission today adopted a negative final
decision concerning State aid granted by France between 1992 and 2002 to
finance 'contingency plans'. This aid relates to public funds paid by the
Office National Interprofessionnel des Fruits, des Légumes et de
l'Horticulture (ONIFLHOR) to certain French agricultural committees to
finance measures to deal with crises in the fruit and vegetable sector.
The aid went to the fruit and vegetable producer organisations in the
departments concerned. The funds involved are believed to have been in
excess of EUR 330 million.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/149&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(3) COMMISSION INVESTIGATES PORTUGUESE AID FOR THE COLLECTION,
TRANSPORTATION, TREATMENT AND DESTRUCTION OF SLAUGHTERHOUSE WASTE
28/01/2009 - The European Commission has today decided to open a formal
investigation procedure, under the Treaty rules on State aid, into the aid
which Portugal has been granting since 1998 to cover the costs of the
collection, transportation, treatment and destruction of mammalian and
poultry meat by-products. The aid has been funded by means of parafiscal
charges levied inter alia on any overcompensation given to undertakings
which provide services and on any benefit granted to slaughtering and
cutting centres and to livestock farmers for services rendered to them.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/148&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(4) COMMISSION AUTHORISES RESTRUCTURING AID FOR FRENCH POULTRY EXPORT FIRM
TILLY-SABCO
28/01/2009 - Under the state aid rules contained in the EC Treaty, the
European Commission has authorised restructuring aid of EUR 3.6 million
for the poultry export firm SA Tilly-Sabco. After examining the
restructuring plan, the Commission considered that the restructuring
measures were an appropriate means of restoring the firm's viability,
that the aid was limited to the minimum necessary and that it did not
entail excessive distortion of competition. The Commission therefore
concluded that the aid was in accordance with the EU provisions on
restructuring firms in difficulty.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/147&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(5) COMMISSION PROPOSES EUR 5 BILLION NEW INVESTMENT IN ENERGY AND
INTERNET BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE IN 2009-2010, IN SUPPORT OF THE EU
RECOVERY PLAN
28/01/2009 - As part of the ongoing implementation of the EU recovery
plan endorsed by the European Council in December 2008, the European
Commission has today presented proposals to invest in key energy and
Internet broadband infrastructure projects. These will deliver a much
needed stimulus to the EU economy in the short term, while at the same
time targeting strategic goals such as energy security. All Member States
will benefit from the package of measures.
For broadband, the Commission proposes to target EUR 1 billion to extend
and upgrade high-speed internet in rural communities. This money will be
targeted via the existing EU's Rural Development Fund to cover the "white
spots" on Europe's broadband map (30% of the population in rural areas
who do not have broadband access).
The Commission also proposes to direct EUR 0.5 billion - using the
existing rural development mechanisms - to launch the work of tackling
the "new challenges" identified in the "Health check" of the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP). These new challenges are: climate change,
renewable energy, water management, biodiversity and dairy restructuring.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/142&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(6) EU REINTRODUCES EXPORT REFUNDS FOR DAIRY PRODUCTS
23/01/2009 - At today's Management Committee, it was decided to reintroduce
export refunds for certain dairy products for the first time since June
2007. The decision was taken in response to the serious situation on the
EU dairy market, caused by a recent sharp fall in producer prices. Export
refunds can be paid to allow EU exporters to continue to be present on the
world market. The EU will, of course, fully respect the limits on
subsidised exports set by the World Trade Organisation. The Commission
will continue to observe market developments and will adjust the refunds
accordingly. The measure will only apply for as long as market conditions
so dictate. For skimmed milk powder (SMP), bids were accepted for a total
of 5,612 tonnes at a maximum refund of 200 EUR per tonne (out of total
bids for 15,172 tonnes). For butter (82 percent fat), bids were accepted
for 2,299 tonnes at a maximum refund of 500 EUR per tonne (out of total
bids for 9,566 tonnes). For butteroil, bids were accepted for 80 tonnes
at a maximum refund of 580 EUR per tonne (out of total bids for 980
tonnes). At the same time, lower rates were fixed for the standing refunds
(the refund rates at which exports can be carried between regular tenders).
The rates were 170 EUR per tonne for SMP, 450 EUR per tonne for butter,
260 EUR per tonne for whole milk powder, and 220 EUR per tonne for cheeses.
(7) EUROPEAN GROUP ON ETHICS (EGE) ASKS EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO EMBED
ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN AGRICULTURE POLICIES
21/01/2009 - The European Group on Ethics (EGE) today met with Mariann
Fischer Boel, the Commissioner responsible for Agriculture and Rural
Development to present the main recommendations of the Group's opinion
on the ethical implications of modern developments in agriculture
technologies.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/86&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Adopted Opinion, full press release and list of EGE members at
http://ec.europa.eu/european_group_ethics/index_en.htm
(8) RESULTS OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES COUNCIL
19/01/2009 - Mr Petr Gandalovi? made a presentation of the work programme
of the Czech Presidency in the field of Agriculture and Fisheries.
The Council having concluded its proceedings on two decisions, concerning
the placing on the market of a genetically modified (GM) oilseed rape
(T45) and of a GM carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L. line 123.8.12)
respectively, the Commission is now entitled to finalise the decision-
making procedure on both issues.
Without discussion, the Council adopted the Common Agricultural Policy
"Health check" legislative package. This package makes a number of
important adjustments to the CAP in order to make the CAP more market
oriented and better able to respond to the new challenges facing
agriculture.
Among the measures included in the package are: EUR 3 billion for new
challenges facing agriculture, funded through modulation of farm payments;
further decoupling of farm payments allowing farmers to better respond to
market signals; a soft-landing for the dairy sector, where the milk quota
regime will expire in 2015; the possibility of better targeting support
for farm sectors in difficulty.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=PRES/09/13&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(9) DAIRY MARKET: COMMISSION PROPOSES ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO HELP DAIRY
SECTOR
15/01/2009 - Following the recent slump in prices for milk and dairy
products, Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel today pledged to
introduce new measures to support the market. The Commission will next
week reintroduce export refunds for butter, cheese and whole and skimmed
milk powder. When intervention buying for butter and SMP begins in March,
the Commission undertakes to, if necessary, buy more than the pre-
determined quantities through regular tenders. In November, the Commission
reintroduced private storage for butter with effect from 1 January 2009 -
including for butter produced in December. This represented an introduction
of private storage earlier than is usually the case.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/57&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(10) EUROPEAN COMMISSION WELCOMES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S VOTE ON PLANT
PROTECTION PRODUCTS REGULATION
13/01/2009 - Today the European Parliament adopted in second reading a
Regulation to replace the current legislation on plant protection products,
based on a Commission proposal from 2006. The new legislation will increase
the protection of human health and the environment, will lead to a better
protection of agricultural production and will extend and deepen the single
market of plant protection products.
The new Regulation will facilitate innovation by establishing clear
criteria for approval of substances. Rules are proposed to ensure an open
and competitive market. The existing legislation is improved and
simplified, in particular in terms of approval procedures.
The new Regulation confirms the importance that the European Commission
gives to a high level of protection of human health and the environment,
while at the same time harmonises further the availability of plant
protection products. Moreover it intends to favour competition and reduce
administrative burden for all stakeholders.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/47&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Questions and Answers on Plant Protection Products at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/8&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(11) OVER 500 RESPONSES TO GREEN PAPER ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT QUALITY
09/01/2009 - On 15 October 2008, the European Commission launched a
consultation on agricultural product quality. At the close of the
consultation period on 31 December 2008, more than 500 written responses
had been received from a broad range of stakeholders: from farmers,
retailers, European interest group representatives, local authorities,
consumers, environmental NGOs, and many others. Contributions reflect a
wide range of views on, among other matters, the pros and cons of
obligatory labelling of the place of farming on foodstuffs, the future of
geographical indications, and development of private-sector food quality
certification schemes. Contributions have been sent from all 27 EU Member
States as well as from some countries outside the EU.
The Commission services have started analysing the contributions received
and will upload all contributions to the Quality policy website in the
coming weeks. A summary of responses will be prepared and published; this
is planned to be available before the Czech Presidency conference on
quality policy to be held in Prague on 12-13 March 2009. This will set the
scene for a major strategy paper, the Communication on agricultural product
quality policy, planned for adoption by the Commission in May 2009.
Details at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/policy/index_en.htm
(12) MEASURES EXPECTED TO REDUCE HUMAN SALMONELLOSIS CAUSED BY EGGS
05/01/2009 - As of January 1 2009 all eggs from flocks of laying hens,
not monitored for the presence of Salmonella or found positive to
Salmonella Enteritidis or Salmonella Typhimurium, can not be sold as table
eggs but must be processed as egg products and pasteurised in order to
eliminate all risks for consumers. In particular, the measure is expected
to reduce considerably the number of human salmonellosis infections.
Restrictions on table eggs from flocks of layers infected with Salmonella
were first adopted in 2003 through Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the
European Parliament and of the Council on the control of Salmonella and
other specified food-borne zoonotic agents. Initially, the restrictions
were to enter into force at the end of 2009. However, high Salmonella
prevalence was recorded in flocks during an EU survey in 2005-2006, and
in 2007 it was decided to accelerate the regulations' enforcement.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1237/2007 set January 1 2009 as the new date
to enforce these restrictions. According to the European Food Safety
Authority's (EFSA) annual reports on the monitoring of zoonoses, eggs
and egg products are responsible for more than half of all outbreaks of
human salmonellosis in the EU where the source of infection was
demonstrated. More than 95% of these infections are caused by Salmonella
Enteritidis or Salmonella Typhimurium. Monitoring for Salmonella is
mandatory in flocks of laying hens since the beginning of 2008. Since
then, whenever Salmonella was detected, measures had to be taken to
eliminate the infection from the farm. However, trade restrictions were
not systematically applied. Because eggs constitute one of the major
sources of human salmonellosis, it is expected that these measures will
reduce considerably the number of cases of infection. The measures also
apply to eggs imported from third countries. Only Croatia, Norway and
Switzerland have provided equivalent guarantees on the safety of eggs.
Therefore, only imports of table eggs from these countries are authorised
in the EU.
(13) COMMISSIONER FISCHER BOEL: SPEECHES AND BLOG ENTRIES
Blog entry: "No time to waste" (30/01/2009)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boe/lno-time-to-waste/
"Challenges for the plant sector" (International Plant Exhibition, Essen,
29/01/2009)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/09/29&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Food prices in Europe: what the CAP can and can't do" (Konrad Adenauer
Stiftung, Brussels, 27/01/2009)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/09/25&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Blog entry: "Cloning: Why a Good Plan today is better than a Perfect Plan
tomorrow" (20/01/2009)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/cloning-why-a-good-plan-today-is-better-than-a-perfect-plan-tomorrow/
Opening speech at the Grüne Woche (Berlin, 15/01/2009)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/09/8&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Blog entry: "Happy new year" (13/01/2009)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/happy-new-year/
(14) REGISTRATION AS PDO, PGI OR TSG
Applications for registration:
'Raviole du Dauphiné': PGI (OJ C 3, 08/01/2009)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:003:0017:0022:EN:PDF
Rejections of registrations:
'D?iugas': PGI (OJ L 8, 13/01/2009)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:008:0024:0024:EN:PDF
'Germantas': PGI (OJ L 8, 13/01/2009)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:008:0025:0025:EN:PDF
No. 193 - 22 December 2008Agriculture on Europa Top
18/12/2008Also available in:
DE | FR
The Member States today gave their backing to further exceptional market support measures for the Irish pork market in line with the Presidency conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 11-12 December 2008. Last week the Commission already introduced, as an urgent support measure, a private storage aid scheme for up to 30,000 tonnes of pigmeat. That EU-funded storage scheme, which was formally adopted by the Commission today, covers meat coming from pigs reared in Ireland on farms that have not used any contaminated feed. In addition, in view of the particularly difficult market situation in Ireland, the Commission has now proposed a further exceptional market support measure in the form of a disposal scheme for animals blocked on farms that have used contaminated feed as well as for certain pigmeat stocks held in slaughterhouses or still owned by the slaughterhouses. The EU will co-finance the purchases at an average rate of 50 percent. Additionally, today's management committee backed a private storage aid scheme for Northern Ireland. Under this scheme, up to 15,000 tonnes of pigmeat can be stored for up to 6 months in Northern Ireland. The scheme follows the same approach as that introduced last week for Ireland.
Top
18/12/2008
The European Commission welcomes today's judgment by the European Court of Justice dismissing the action by four French federations of farmers and one French federation of slaughterers in relation to the Commission's April 2003 decision fining a price agreement and an agreement to suspend/limit imports from other Member States (cases C-101/07 and C-110/07). This judgment puts an end to the case and confirms the principle that in the case of antitrust violations by associations of undertakings, the fine can take account of take account of the turnovers of the association's members.
Top
EU School Fruit Scheme
17/12/2008Also available in:
DE | FR
The European 'School Fruit Scheme' was at the centre of a major conference organised by the European Commission this Monday and Tuesday in Brussels which resulted in concrete recommendations on how to get fruit and vegetables to European children from the start of the 2009/2010 school year.
Around 300 stakeholders ranging from farmers to fruit traders, from the food industry to public health, education and environmental organisations, scientists and researchers as well as representatives of Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament participated in the conference.
The conference emphasised the need to strike the right balance which should allow for tailor-made programmes that fit local needs but which would also meet the basic requirements about accountability when using public money. The aim is to avoid red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy but at the same time allow the schemes to be well controlled.
Conference proceedings and video recordings
Top
12/12/2008Also available in:
DE | FR
The European Commission has approved measures to provide information on, and to promote agricultural products in third countries. Member States submitted 30 programmes to the Commission to be examined. The 11 programmes that have been accepted are from Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Spain and Ireland. They are targeted at Russia, Ukraine, China, Japan and North America. The products covered are wine, fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy products and PDO and organic products. The EU contribution is EUR 17.8 million (50% of the total budget of the programmes).
Top
11/12/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
The Member States of the European Union today voted unanimously in favour of a proposal to introduce a specific private storage aid scheme for pigmeat produced in Ireland. The European Commission made the proposal because of the exceptional circumstances and the difficulties that the pigmeat market in Ireland is experiencing. This EU-funded storage scheme, backed at today's Management Committee, will involve only meat coming from pigs reared in Ireland on farms not affected by contaminated feed. Under the aid scheme, a maximum of 30,000 tonnes of pigmeat can be stored for a period of up to 6 months. The level of aid varies according to the cut of meat. The scheme is expected to enter into force in the coming days.
The Irish authorities have taken various precautionary measures to recall from the market all pigmeat and pigmeat products produced from pigs slaughtered after 1 September 2008 in Ireland and temporarily suspend the marketing of pigmeat. This action follows the recent findings of elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in some pigmeat originating in Ireland, which has been attributed to the distribution of contaminated feed from a single manufacturer.
Top
11/12/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
A total of EUR 528.5 million of EU farm money unduly spent by Member States will be claimed back as a result of a decision adopted by the European Commission. The money returns to the Community budget because of inadequate control procedures or non-compliance with EU rules on agricultural expenditure. Member States are responsible for paying out and checking expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Commission is required to ensure that Member States have made correct use of the funds.
Under this latest decision, the 29th since the 1995 reform of the system for recovering unduly spent CAP money, funds will be recovered from Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden.
Top
State aid
10/12/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR | IT
The European Commission today decided that the EUR 20 million in aid which Italy had planned to grant in the form of urgent measures to cope with the bird flu crisis in 2005 was not compatible with the rules on State aid in agriculture. In July 2006 the Commission launched the procedure to investigate the measures set out in Article 5 of Italian Decree-Law No 202/05 which provided for: the purchase by the Italian Government of 17,000 tonnes of poultry meat and other poultry products to be used for humanitarian aid; the suspension of tax payments, social security contributions and bills for operators in the poultry sector; and aid for loans to convert and restructure poultry undertakings affected by the crisis in the poultry sector.
Top
State aid
10/12/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
The European Commission today authorised an umbrella scheme notified by France and funded by 'compulsory voluntary levies' which involves aid for members in all the farm sectors represented by recognised agricultural inter-branch organisations. The scheme covers aid for technical assistance, quality agricultural produce, research and development, and advertising campaigns. The estimated annual budget is EUR 250 million. The aid is regarded as compatible with the rules on State aid in agriculture. Aid granted prior to adoption of the decision is not covered.
Top
Food prices
10/12/2008 Also available in:
BG | CS | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | SK | SL | FI | SV
The European Commission has agreed a Communication that aims to improve the functioning of the food supply chain in order to lower prices for consumers. The prices of food have come down significantly from record levels earlier this year but the underlying causes for the surge in agricultural commodity prices in the medium-term -including regulatory restrictions, insufficient competition and speculation have not disappeared and must be dealt with.
The Communication proposes ways to improve the functioning of the food supply chain in Europe to deliver permanently competitive prices for European households. It follows up on a request by the June European Council to investigate the causes of the sharp increases in the price of food in the wake of the even stronger rise in commodity prices.
Top
Curvy cucumbers, curious carrots and bendy beans back on the shelves
05/12/2008
The European Commission today formally adopted the Regulation repealing specific marketing standards for 26 types of fruit and vegetables. This is the final step in the process following the vote by Member States in November. For 10 types of fruit and vegetables, including apples, strawberries and tomatoes, marketing standards will remain in place. But even for these 10, Member States could for the first time allow shops to sell products that don't respect the standards, as long as they are sold with an appropriate label. In other words, the new rules will allow national authorities to permit the sale of all fruit and vegetables, regardless of their size and shape. The new rules will apply from 1 July 2009. The Commission's initiative to get rid of these standards is a major element in its ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify EU rules and cut red tape.
Top
Biotechnology
Commission authorises a GM soybean
04/12/2008
The European Commission adopted today a Decision authorising GM soybean MON89788, also known as "Roundup Ready 2" soybean, for import and processing and food and feed uses. The Commission adopted the decision following an application submitted by the food biotechnology company Monsanto and a favourable scientific assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which addressed all safety concerns. EFSA concluded that there is no risk to human or animal health or to the environment. MON89788 soybean underwent the full authorisation procedure set out in the EU legislation. As Member States failed to return a qualified-majority decision for or against this authorisation in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH), and then in the Council, the dossier was sent back to the Commission for decision. The authorisation is valid for 10 years, and any products produced from this GM soybean will be subject to the EU's strict labelling and traceability rules.
Top
Extension of payment deadline for SAPARD funds in Bulgaria and Romania
02/12/2008
The European Commission today adopted a decision allowing Bulgaria and Romania to extend the deadline for payments of SAPARD funds by one year, from 31 December 2008 to 31 December 2009. Both countries faced delays in payments partly because of limited administrative capacity to manage the SAPARD programmes and partly because of a low absorption capacity of beneficiaries of the programme, with a consequent back loading of funds. Furthermore, national and EU payments under the programme were stopped in the middle of this year, due to weaknesses and deficiencies in the payments and controls. The extension of the deadline will give the Bulgarian and Romanian authorities extra time to ensure that these problems are properly addressed before final payments are made. SAPARD is a Community framework for supporting sustainable agricultural and rural development in the candidate countries during the pre-accession process. For Bulgaria and Romania, payments of SAPARD funds were normally allowed until the end of 2008.
Top
01/12/2009 Also available in:
DE | FR
A new agreement governing the wine trade between Australia and the European Union was signed in Brussels today by EU Commissioner for Agriculture Mariann Fischer Boel and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith. This agreement will replace the one signed in 1994.
The 1994 agreement stated that Australian producers would stop using the important EU names such as "Champagne", "Port" and "Sherry" and eight other European geographical indications, along with some traditional expressions such as, "Amontillado", "Claret", and "Auslese". The 2008 agreement sets clear dates for the phase-out of these terms.
The new agreement also outlines the conditions for Australia to continue to use a number of quality wine terms, such as "vintage", "cream" and "tawny" to describe wines exported to Europe and sold domestically.
The European Community and Australia agreed to protect each other's geographical indications in the agreement.
Top
Commissioner Fischer Boel's website
Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
"The School Fruit Scheme: an investment in the future" (Speech delivered during the Commission's School Fruit Scheme Conference, Brussels, 15/12/2008)
"Global food demand: role of the EU" (General Assembly of the CGB [Confédération Générale des Planteurs de Betteraves], Paris, 09/12/2008)
Blog entry: "EU-Australia Wine Agreement: something to toast" (03/12/2008)
"The Green Paper on Agricultural Product Quality" (General Assembly of AREPO [European Association of Geographical Indications], Brussels, 02/12/2008)
Speech to the European Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee COCOBU (Brussels, 02/12/2008)
Top
Publications
What's new on the Commission's "Agriculture and Rural Development" website?
"Rural Development in the European Union - Statistical and Economic Information - Report 2008"
Top
EU agricultural product quality policy: PDO, PGI or TSG
Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
Applications for registration:
'Batata doce de Aljezur': PGI (OJ C 324 - 19/12/2008, p. 31)
'Pan de Cruz de Ciudad Real': PGI (OJ C 324 - 19/12/2008, p. 26)
'Brnnské pivo' or 'Starobrnnské pivo': PGI (OJ C 310 - 05/12/2008, p. 25)
'Nocciola Romana': PDO (OJ C 308 - 03/12/2008, p. 19)
'Maine-Anjou': PDO (OJ C 307 - 02/12/2008, p. 11)
Registrations:
'Bleu d'Auvergne': PDO (OJ L 338 - 17/12/2008, p. 5)
San Simón da Costa (PDO), Ail blanc de Lomagne (PGI), Steirischer Kren (PGI) (OJ L 333 - 11/12/2008, p. 3)
Amendment of specifications:
'Maroilles' or 'Marolles': PDO (OJ L 344 - 20/12/2008, p. 30)
'Scottish Farmed Salmon': PGI (OJ L 323 - 03/12/2008, p. 18)
Top
Calls for tender
Calls for tender
Contract notices are available in all official EU languages.
Important notice: This selection is not exhaustive. For a complete list of current calls for tenders please log on to Tenders electronic daily.
"Prospects for the market supply of wood and other forest products from areas with fragmented forest-ownership structures": Contract notice and tender documents [Deadline for submission: 10/02/2009]
Top
This service is brought to you by European CommissionDirectorate-General for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentCommunication UnitB-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please log in here.
Send your comments and questions to the editor.
To receive a PLAIN TEXT version of the News Digest, please log in and change your subscription.
All previous issues of the Agriculture News Digest are available in the archive.
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than the Agriculture and Rural Development DG.
Legal notice: The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the European Commission and represent their personal views on the subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural Development.(C) European Communities, 2002-2008
No. 192 - 21 November 2008Agriculture on Europa Top
CAP Health Check
20/11/2008Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The European Commission welcomes the political agreement by EU agriculture ministers on the Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy. The Health Check will modernise, simplify and streamline the CAP and remove restrictions on farmers, thus helping them to respond better to signals from the market and to face new challenges. Among a range of measures, the agreement abolishes arable set-aside, increases milk quotas gradually leading up to their abolition in 2015, and converts market intervention into a genuine safety net. Ministers also agreed to increase modulation, whereby direct payments to farmers are reduced and the money transferred to the Rural Development Fund. This will allow a better response to the new challenges and opportunities faced by European agriculture, including climate change, the need for better water management, the protection of biodiversity, and the production of green energy. Member States will also be able to assist dairy farmers in sensitive regions adjust to the new market situation.
Top
School Fruit Scheme
19/11/2008 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The European Commission welcomed today's political agreement in the Agriculture Council on its proposal for a European Union-wide scheme to provide fruit and vegetables to school children. European funds worth EUR 90 million every year will pay for the purchase and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to schools. This money will be matched by national and private funds in those Member States which chose to make use of the programme. The School Fruit Scheme aims to encourage good eating habits in young people, which studies show tend to be carried on into later life. Besides providing fruit and vegetables to a target group of schoolchildren, the scheme will require participating Member States to set up strategies including educational and awareness-raising initiatives and the sharing of best practice. An estimated 22 million children in the EU are overweight. More than 5 million these are obese and this figure is expected to rise by 400,000 every year. Improved nutrition can play an important part in combating this problem. The scheme will begin at the start of the 2009/2010 school year.
Top
Rural Development policy 2007-2013
19/11/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR | PT
Today the Rural Development Committee (consisting of representatives of the 27 Member States) gave a positive opinion to the Rural Development programme of the Portuguese national rural network for the financial period 2007-2013. This marks the end of the process of approving the 94 different regional and national rural development programmes that make up the EU rural development policy. Specific Rural Development programmes for each of the Portuguese regions have already been approved. These programmes are defined to guarantee infrastructure, create new income opportunities for rural regions, promote growth and fight unemployment. The Commission still has to formally adopt the programme in the next weeks.
Description of the programme
Top
Reintroduction of private storage for butter
13/11/2008
Following the significant price increases for dairy products last year markets are now undergoing a severe correction. Prices have decreased sharply and butter is quoted below or close to the intervention level in a number of Member States. Intervention buying-in is currently closed and will become available as from 1 March 2009 as laid down in the Council Single CMO Regulation. In a falling market buyers are reluctant to enter into major contractual commitments, thereby fuelling further the downward trend. The general economic situation inside and outside the European Union, as well as financing problems, add to the fragility of the market situation. However, the current lack of balance on the market is to some extent expected to be of a temporary nature. Under these circumstances the Commission intends to support the dairy market by granting an aid for private storage for butter. The scheme will start on 1st January 2009 with butter produced in December 2008 also being eligible for aid. Detailed rules for the scheme received a positive vote from Member States today in the Single Management Committee. There will be a flat rate aid level of EUR 15.62 per tonne, plus EUR 0.44/tonne/day to cover variable costs for cold storage and financing.
Top
12/11/2008 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
Rules governing the size and shape of fruit and vegetables will be consigned to history after European Union Member States today voted on Commission proposals to repeal specific marketing standards for 26 types of fruit and vegetables. The Commission's initiative to get rid of these standards is a major element in its ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify EU rules and cut red tape. For 10 types of fruit and vegetables, including apples, strawberries and tomatoes, marketing standards will remain in place. But even for these 10, Member States could for the first time allow shops to sell products that don't respect the standards, as long as they are labelled to distinguish them from 'extra', 'class I' and 'class II' fruit. In other words, the new rules will allow national authorities to permit the sale of all fruit and vegetables, regardless of their size and shape.
Top
10/11/2008 Also available in:
DE | EL | FR
In an effort to raise awareness among children about the importance of treating farmed animals in a respectful and humane way, the European Commission launched today "Farmland," the European children's website on animal welfare. "Farmland" is an interactive and informative online computer game targeting children aged between 9 and 12, which also aims to help tomorrow's consumers be in a position to make informed choices about the food they will be buying. The Commission is also developing an online teacher's toolbox containing exercises that can be used in class to help children better understand the issue of animal welfare. Some Member States have already expressed interest in the project.
Go to "Farmland"
Top
Mariann Fischer Boel receives European of the Year award from Danish European Movement
10/11/2008
Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, on Friday received the European of the Year Award for 2008 from the Danish European Movement, a cross party pro-EU organisation. The award was presented at a ceremony in the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen on Friday. This is the eighth time the award has been presented to a person who has made an exceptional effort to promote a European agenda. The Movement conferred the award for Mrs Fischer Boel's determined efforts to reform the Common Agricultural Policy and modernise the European farm sector to make it competitive and independent of outdated market organisations.
Top
04/11/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR | IT
EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel and Swiss Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, today launched negotiations aiming at full liberalisation of trade in agriculture between the EU and Switzerland. Given their geographical proximity and the volume of bilateral trade, both parties are obvious partners for fully liberalised trade exchanges. The upcoming negotiations are a logical continuation of the liberalization process, which has been ongoing since the 1972 Agreement and which is enshrined, as far as agriculture is concerned, in the 1999 bilateral Agriculture Agreement.
Top
Commission authorises the use of GM LLCotton25
29/10/2008
The European Commission adopted today a Decision authorising the use of genetically modified (GM) LLCotton25 in food and feed. The decision has been adopted following an application submitted by Germany's Bayer CropScience AG and a favourable scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which addressed all safety concerns. The assessment concluded that there is no risk to human or animal health or to the environment. The Commission's proposal on GM LLCotton25 was first submitted to the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH), but there the Member States did not achieve qualified majority, either for or against the proposal. As the procedure provides for, the Commission referred the issue to the Council, which had three months to act. Consequently, the proposal was considered by the Agricultural and Fisheries Council and the result of the vote there was similar to that at SCoFCAH there was no qualified majority either for or against. In short, the Council neither adopted nor indicated its opposition to the proposed measure. Following the procedure provided by EU law, the Commission adopted today the Decision, which authorises the placing on the market of food and feed containing, consisting of, or produced from, GM LLCotton25.
Top
Commission to propose additional funding of approximately 100 million EUR in 2009 to help Member States tackle Bluetongue
29/10/2008
The European Commission today announced its intention to propose in early 2009 additional funding of approximately EUR 100 million in order to co-finance the administration of vaccines to control Bluetongue disease in 2009. Subject to the assessment of actual needs and absorption capacity, this commitment, made in an amending letter to the 2009 budget adopted today, would raise the total amount likely to be allocated to assist vaccination efforts in 2009 up to EUR 160 million. Prior to today's decision, the Commission had already proposed in the preliminary draft budget 2009 to allocate EUR 60 million to co-finance the purchase of vaccines and surveillance of the insects which carry the disease. The Commission's total funding during the period 2008-2009 is expected to exceed EUR 300 million. The amending letter to the 2009 budget is now being forwarded to the European Parliament and the Council. The agreement of both institutions will be necessary in order to release the funds. The additional funding will assist Member States by financing up to 50% of the costs incurred by them in administering the Bluetongue vaccine.
Top
Commissioner Fischer Boel's website
Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
"Opening statement on School Fruit Scheme" (Debate in EP Plenary session, Brussels, 18/11/2008)
"Opening statement on the Health Check of the CAP" (Debate in EP Plenary, Brussels, 18/11/2008)
Blog entry: "Return of the curvy cucumber" (17/11/2008)
"50 years of building the future" (50th Anniversary of CEJA, European Council of Young Farmers, Rome, 06/11/2008)
"Holding our course in shifting weather" (Hearing with the Agriculture Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Rome, 06/11/2008)
"Perspectives for the CAP in the Health Check and after 2013" (Meeting of the EP Agricultural Committee / National Parliaments, Brussels, 03/11/2008)
"Liberalism and the CAP" (European Liberal Democrats Congress, Stockholm, Sweden, 31/10/2008)
Blog entry: "Milk: Drink it up!" (29/10/2008)
"The role of the regions in the future CAP" (Conference organised by CRPM, Conférence des Régions Périphériques Maritimes d'Europe, Nantes, 24/10/2008)
Top
Publications
What's new on the Commission's "Agriculture and Rural Development" website?
New chapter: "Relations with Developing Countries"
Top
EU agricultural product quality policy: PDO, PGI or TSG
Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
Applications for registration:
'Pagnotta del Dittaino': PDO (OJ C 283 - 07/11/2008, p. 15)
'Pierekaczewnik': TSG (OJ C 269 - 24/10/2008, p. 11)
'Abbacchio Romano': PGI (OJ C 269 - 24/10/2008, p. 16)
Applications to amend a specification:
'Pera dell'Emilia Romagna': PGI (OJ C 284 - 08/11/2008, p. 7)
'Sabina': PDO (OJ C 284 - 08/11/2008, p. 12)
Registrations:
'BSuf de Bazas': PGI, and 'Kainuun rönttönen': PGI (OJ L 301- 12/11/2008, p. 3)
"Rogal [witomarciDski": PGI (OJ L 290 - 31/10/2008, p. 16)
"Arroz del Delta del Ebro" or "Arròs del Delta de l'Ebre": PDO (OJ L 283 - 28/10/2008, p. 36)
Amendment of specifications:
"Taureau de Camargue": PDO (OJ L 290 - 31/10/2008, p. 8)
"Veau dAveyron et du Ségala": PGI (OJ L 290 - 31/10/2008, p. 12)
Cancellation of registrations:
"Arroz del Delta del Ebro": PGI (OJ L 283 - 28/10/2008, p. 32)
Top
Calls for tender
Calls for tender
Contract notices are available in all official EU languages.
Important notice: This selection is not exhaustive. For a complete list of current calls for tenders please log on to Tenders electronic daily.
"Framework contract for the organisation of promotion events and high-level trade visits in third countries": Contract notice and tender documents [Deadline for submission: 05/02/2009]
Top
This service is brought to you by European CommissionDirectorate-General for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentCommunication UnitB-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please log in here.
Send your comments and questions to the editor.
To receive a PLAIN TEXT version of the News Digest, please log in and change your subscription.
All previous issues of the Agriculture News Digest are available in the archive.
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than the Agriculture and Rural Development DG.
Legal notice: The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the European Commission and represent their personal views on the subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural Development.(C) European Communities, 2002-2008
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - AGRICULTURE NEWS DIGEST
No. 192, 21 November 2008
Contents:
(1) CAP Health Check will help farmers meet new challenges
(2) Commission welcomes political agreement on School Fruit Scheme worth
EUR 90 million per year
(3) Last rural development programme for the period 2007-2013 agreed
(Portuguese national rural network)
(4) Reintroduction of private storage for butter
(5) The return of the curvy cucumber: Commission to allow sale of 'wonky'
fruit and vegetables
(6) Commission launches "Farmland": The fun way for kids to learn about
animal welfare
(7) Mariann Fischer Boel receives European of the Year award from Danish
European Movement
(8) EU and Switzerland launch negotiations on full trade liberalisation in
the agro-food sector
(9) Commission authorises the use of GM LLCotton25
(10) Commission to propose additional funding of approximately 100 million
EUR in 2009 to help Member States tackle Bluetongue
(11) Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
(12) What's new on the Commission's "Agriculture and Rural Development"
web site?
(13) Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
(14) Calls for tender
---------------------------------------------------------
(1) CAP HEALTH CHECK WILL HELP FARMERS MEET NEW CHALLENGES
20/11/2008 - The European Commission welcomes the political agreement by
EU agriculture ministers on the Health Check of the Common Agricultural
Policy. The Health Check will modernise, simplify and streamline the CAP
and remove restrictions on farmers, thus helping them to respond better to
signals from the market and to face new challenges. Among a range of
measures, the agreement abolishes arable set-aside, increases milk quotas
gradually leading up to their abolition in 2015, and converts market
intervention into a genuine safety net. Ministers also agreed to increase
modulation, whereby direct payments to farmers are reduced and the money
transferred to the Rural Development Fund. This will allow a better
response to the new challenges and opportunities faced by European
agriculture, including climate change, the need for better water
management, the protection of biodiversity, and the production of green
energy. Member States will also be able to assist dairy farmers in
sensitive regions adjust to the new market situation.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1749&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(2) COMMISSION WELCOMES POLITICAL AGREEMENT ON SCHOOL FRUIT SCHEME WORTH
EUR 90 MILLION PER YEAR
19/11/2008 - The European Commission welcomed today's political agreement
in the Agriculture Council on its proposal for a European Union-wide
scheme to provide fruit and vegetables to school children. European funds
worth EUR 90 million every year will pay for the purchase and distribution
of fresh fruit and vegetables to schools. This money will be matched by
national and private funds in those Member States which chose to make use
of the programme. The School Fruit Scheme aims to encourage good eating
habits in young people, which studies show tend to be carried on into
later life. Besides providing fruit and vegetables to a target group of
schoolchildren, the scheme will require participating Member States to set
up strategies including educational and awareness-raising initiatives and
the sharing of best practice. An estimated 22 million children in the EU
are overweight. More than 5 million these are obese and this figure is
expected to rise by 400,000 every year. Improved nutrition can play an
important part in combating this problem. The scheme will begin at the
start of the 2009/2010 school year.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1739&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(3) LAST RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE PERIOD 2007-2013 AGREED
(PORTUGUESE NATIONAL RURAL NETWORK)
19/11/2008 - Today the Rural Development Committee (consisting of
representatives of the 27 Member States) gave a positive opinion to the
Rural Development programme of the Portuguese national rural network for
the financial period 2007-2013. This marks the end of the process of
approving the 94 different regional and national rural development
programmes that make up the EU rural development policy. Specific Rural
Development programmes for each of the Portuguese regions have already
been approved. These programmes are defined to guarantee infrastructure,
create new income opportunities for rural regions, promote growth and
fight unemployment. The Commission still has to formally adopt the
programme in the next weeks.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1734&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Description of the programme at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/723&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(4) REINTRODUCTION OF PRIVATE STORAGE FOR BUTTER
13/11/2008 - Following the significant price increases for dairy products
last year markets are now undergoing a severe correction. Prices have
decreased sharply and butter is quoted below or close to the intervention
level in a number of Member States. Intervention buying-in is currently
closed and will become available as from 1 March 2009 as laid down in the
Council Single CMO Regulation. In a falling market buyers are reluctant
to enter into major contractual commitments, thereby fuelling further the
downward trend. The general economic situation inside and outside the
European Union, as well as financing problems, add to the fragility of
the market situation. However, the current lack of balance on the market
is to some extent expected to be of a temporary nature. Under these
circumstances the Commission intends to support the dairy market by
granting an aid for private storage for butter. The scheme will start on
1st January 2009 with butter produced in December 2008 also being eligible
for aid. Detailed rules for the scheme received a positive vote from
Member States today in the Single Management Committee. There will be a
flat rate aid level of EUR 15.62 per tonne, plus EUR 0.44/tonne/day to
cover variable costs for cold storage and financing.
(5) THE RETURN OF THE CURVY CUCUMBER: COMMISSION TO ALLOW SALE OF 'WONKY'
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
12/11/2008 - Rules governing the size and shape of fruit and vegetables
will be consigned to history after European Union Member States today
voted on Commission proposals to repeal specific marketing standards for
26 types of fruit and vegetables. The Commission's initiative to get rid
of these standards is a major element in its ongoing efforts to streamline
and simplify EU rules and cut red tape. For 10 types of fruit and
vegetables, including apples, strawberries and tomatoes, marketing
standards will remain in place. But even for these 10, Member States could
for the first time allow shops to sell products that don't respect the
standards, as long as they are labelled to distinguish them from 'extra',
'class I' and 'class II' fruit. In other words, the new rules will allow
national authorities to permit the sale of all fruit and vegetables,
regardless of their size and shape.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1694&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(6) COMMISSION LAUNCHES "FARMLAND": THE FUN WAY FOR KIDS TO LEARN ABOUT
ANIMAL WELFARE
10/11/2008 - In an effort to raise awareness among children about the
importance of treating farmed animals in a respectful and humane way, the
European Commission launched today "Farmland," the European children's
website on animal welfare. "Farmland" is an interactive and informative
online computer game targeting children aged between 9 and 12, which also
aims to help tomorrow's consumers be in a position to make informed choices
about the food they will be buying. The Commission is also developing an
online teacher's toolbox containing exercises that can be used in class
to help children better understand the issue of animal welfare. Some
Member States have already expressed interest in the project.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1670&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Farmland" at
http://www.farmland-thegame.eu/
(7) MARIANN FISCHER BOEL RECEIVES EUROPEAN OF THE YEAR AWARD FROM DANISH
EUROPEAN MOVEMENT
10/11/2008 - Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural
Development, on Friday received the European of the Year Award for 2008
from the Danish European Movement, a cross party pro-EU organisation. The
award was presented at a ceremony in the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen
on Friday. This is the eighth time the award has been presented to a
person who has made an exceptional effort to promote a European agenda.
The Movement conferred the award for Mrs Fischer Boel's determined efforts
to reform the Common Agricultural Policy and modernise the European farm
sector to make it competitive and independent of outdated market
organisations.
(8) EU AND SWITZERLAND LAUNCH NEGOTIATIONS ON FULL TRADE LIBERALISATION
IN THE AGRO-FOOD SECTOR
04/11/2008 - EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann
Fischer Boel and Swiss Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard, Head of the
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, today launched negotiations aiming
at full liberalisation of trade in agriculture between the EU and
Switzerland. Given their geographical proximity and the volume of bilateral
trade, both parties are obvious partners for fully liberalised trade
exchanges. The upcoming negotiations are a logical continuation of the
liberalization process, which has been ongoing since the 1972 Agreement
and which is enshrined, as far as agriculture is concerned, in the 1999
bilateral Agriculture Agreement.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1625&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(9) COMMISSION AUTHORISES THE USE OF GM LLCOTTON25
29/10/2008 - The European Commission adopted today a Decision authorising
the use of genetically modified (GM) LLCotton25 in food and feed. The
decision has been adopted following an application submitted by Germany's
Bayer CropScience AG and a favourable scientific assessment by the European
Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which addressed all safety concerns. The
assessment concluded that there is no risk to human or animal health or
to the environment. The Commission's proposal on GM LLCotton25 was first
submitted to the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health
(SCoFCAH), but there the Member States did not achieve qualified majority,
either for or against the proposal. As the procedure provides for, the
Commission referred the issue to the Council, which had three months to
act. Consequently, the proposal was considered by the Agricultural and
Fisheries Council and the result of the vote there was similar to that
at SCoFCAH ? there was no qualified majority either for or against. In
short, the Council neither adopted nor indicated its opposition to the
proposed measure. Following the procedure provided by EU law, the
Commission adopted today the Decision, which authorises the placing on
the market of food and feed containing, consisting of, or produced from,
GM LLCotton25.
Legal framework at
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/index_en.htm
(10) COMMISSION TO PROPOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDING OF APPROXIMATELY 100 MILLION
EUR IN 2009 TO HELP MEMBER STATES TACKLE BLUETONGUE
29/10/2008 - The European Commission today announced its intention to
propose in early 2009 additional funding of approximately EUR 100 million
in order to co-finance the administration of vaccines to control
Bluetongue disease in 2009. Subject to the assessment of actual needs
and absorption capacity, this commitment, made in an amending letter to
the 2009 budget adopted today, would raise the total amount likely to be
allocated to assist vaccination efforts in 2009 up to EUR 160 million.
Prior to today's decision, the Commission had already proposed in the
preliminary draft budget 2009 to allocate EUR 60 million to co-finance
the purchase of vaccines and surveillance of the insects which carry the
disease. The Commission's total funding during the period 2008-2009 is
expected to exceed EUR 300 million. The amending letter to the 2009 budget
is now being forwarded to the European Parliament and the Council. The
agreement of both institutions will be necessary in order to release the
funds. The additional funding will assist Member States by financing up
to 50% of the costs incurred by them in administering the Bluetongue
vaccine.
More on bluetongue at
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/controlmeasures/bluetongue_en.htm
(11) COMMISSIONER FISCHER BOEL: SPEECHES AND BLOG ENTRIES
"Opening statement on School Fruit Scheme" (Debate in EP Plenary session,
Brussels, 18/11/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/630&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Opening statement on the Health Check of the CAP" (Debate in EP Plenary,
Brussels, 18/11/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/629&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Blog entry: "Return of the curvy cucumber" (17/11/2008)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/return-of-the-curvy-cucumber/
"50 years of building the future" (50th Anniversary of CEJA, European
Council of Young Farmers, Rome, 06/11/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/590&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Holding our course in shifting weather" (Hearing with the Agriculture
Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Rome, 06/11/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/589&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Perspectives for the CAP in the Health Check and after 2013" (Meeting of
the EP Agricultural Committee / National Parliaments, Brussels, 03/11/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/577&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Liberalism and the CAP" (European Liberal Democrats Congress, Stockholm,
Sweden, 31/10/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/571&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Blog entry: "Milk: Drink it up!" (29/10/2008)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/milk-drink-it-up/
"The role of the regions in the future CAP" (Conference organised by CRPM,
Conférence des Régions Périphériques Maritimes d'Europe, Nantes, 24/10/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/559&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(12) WHAT'S NEW ON THE COMMISSION'S "AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT"
WEB SITE?
New chapter: "Relations with Developing Countries"
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/external/dev/index_en.htm
(13) REGISTRATION AS PDO, PGI OR TSG
Applications for registration:
'Pagnotta del Dittaino': PDO (OJ C 283, 07/11/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:283:0015:0018:EN:PDF
'Pierekaczewnik': TSG (OJ C 269, 24/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:269:0011:0015:EN:PDF
'Abbacchio Romano': PGI (OJ C 269, 24/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:269:0016:0018:EN:PDF
Applications to amend a specification:
'Pera dell'Emilia Romagna': PGI (OJ C 284, 08/11/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:284:0007:0011:EN:PDF
'Sabina': PDO (OJ C 284, 08/11/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:284:0012:0017:EN:PDF
Registrations:
'B?uf de Bazas': PGI, and 'Kainuun rönttönen': PGI (OJ L 301, 12/11/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:301:0003:0004:EN:PDF
"Rogal ?wi?tomarci?ski": PGI (OJ L 290, 31/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:290:0016:0017:EN:PDF
"Arroz del Delta del Ebro" or "Arròs del Delta de l'Ebre": PDO (OJ L 283,
28/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:283:0034:0035:EN:PDF
Amendment of specifications:
"Taureau de Camargue": PDO (OJ L 290, 31/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:290:0008:0011:EN:PDF
"Veau d?Aveyron et du Ségala": PGI (OJ L 290, 31/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:290:0012:0015:EN:PDF
Cancellation of registrations:
"Arroz del Delta del Ebro": PGI (OJ L 283, 28/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:283:0032:0033:EN:PDF
(14) CALLS FOR TENDER
"Framework contract for the organisation of promotion events and high-level
trade visits in third countries" [Deadline for submission: 05/02/2009]
Contract notice and tender documents at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/tenderdocs/2008/289840/index_en.htm
No. 191 - 23 October 2008Agriculture on Europa Top
European School Milk Scheme
17/10/2008Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
Today in Cyprus, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Mariann Fischer Boel, will launch an EU-wide campaign to promote the relaunched School Milk Programme. Under the slogan "Milk - Drink it up", the information campaign aims to raise awareness of the benefits of milk consumption and the availability of EU funds to schools. During a day dedicated to balanced diet and good eating habits organised by pupils of Panagia Triherousa school in Limassol, Commissioner Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou, and Dr Michalis Polynikis, Minister for Agriculture of Cyprus, will kick off a series of entertaining and educative events. As part of this campaign, young people will be invited to take part in a photo competition on the theme "Milk power".
www.drinkitup.europa.eu
Top
17/10/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, announced that customs duties on cereals imports will be reintroduced as a reaction to the price decrease on the cereals market. A draft Regulation was put to the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets yesterday. It has now to be formally adopted by the Commission and will enter into force on the third day following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. There are no export refunds on cereals exports.
Top
EU agricultural product quality policy
New database on food quality product names
17/10/2008
The Commission today launched a new database of protected quality names for agricultural products and foodstuffs. By using the 'Database Of Origin and Registration' (DOOR), researchers, producers, agricultural journalists and interested citizens now have easy access to full information on the registered names: PDOs, PGIs and TSGs. Commenting on the new database, Marianne Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said: "This important project illustrates the Commission's commitment to the agricultural quality schemes. DOOR will cut the time taken for examination and greatly facilitate the work of all those seeking data and information on our registered quality names."
DOOR comprises data on 832 registered names: PDOs (Protected Designations of Origin), and PGIs (Protected Geographical Indications), and TSGs (Traditional Specialities Guaranteed), as well as 323 applied-for names. When complete, DOOR will consist of three modules: an online application system, a workflow management system within the Commission, and the on-line database available today.
DOOR Database of Origin and Registration
More on PDOs, PGIs and TSGs
Top
Rural Development policy 2007-2013
16/10/2008 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The European Commission will tomorrow launch the European Network for Rural Development at a high-profile conference on rural development in Cyprus. The Network will bring together policy-makers, administrators, academics and other key actors in the area of rural development from across the European Union, thus making it easier for them to share ideas, information and experience. This will help keep the European Union's rural development policy fit for the demands of the 21st century.
Proceedings of the conference
Top
EU agricultural product quality policy
15/10/2008 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The European Commission today adopted a Green Paper to open the debate on how to help European farmers make the most of the quality of the food and drinks they produce. As globalisation spreads, pressure increases from low cost products from overseas and consumer demands evolve, Europe's most potent weapon is 'quality'. The Green Paper looks at the range of standards, quality and certification programmes and labelling schemes currently operating in the EU (including geographical indications, organic farming, and private and regional food quality certification schemes) and asks what could be done better to exploit the strengths of EU farming and better inform consumers about the products on offer. The paper asks stakeholders to give their views on how effective these measures are in delivering guarantees and communicating the qualities of the products, and to suggest improvements. The consultation period will run until the end of 2008. A Communication will be prepared next year based on the results, which could lead to legislative proposals at a later stage.
Take part in the consultation
Top
13/10/2008 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
Certain Member States face levies totalling just over EUR 340 million for exceeding their milk quotas during the 2007/2008 marketing year, according to a provisional calculation by the European Commission, based on Member States' annual declarations. Last year the total levy amounted to EUR 221 million. Seven Member States (Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, and Netherlands) exceeded their delivery quotas. Altogether these account for an overrun of 1,217,000 tonnes, resulting in a levy of EUR 338.7 million. Some 47% of the total is due to excess deliveries in Italy and 30% of the levy is due from Germany. Italy exceeded its delivery quota by 5.7%, Cyprus exceeded by 3.9% and Austria by 3.2%. As for direct sales to consumers, Cyprus, Luxembourg and the Netherlands reported overruns, totalling 4,673 tonnes resulting in a levy for direct sales of EUR 1.3 million, of which 92% is due from the Netherlands.
Top
Commission submitted updated measures on China milk products to the Member States
13/10/2008
Last Friday, the European Commission discussed how to update the existing measures to respond to the melamine contaminated milk from China with the Member States. The set of reinforced measures discussed and agreed by Member States, replace the interim measures provisionally adopted by the Commission on 26 September last (Decision 2008/757/EC). The new measures update and supplement the measures adopted two weeks ago, which consisted of a ban on imports of products intended for the particular nutritional uses of infants or young children and of systematic checks on other composite products containing milk prior to import into the Community. Member States may also perform random checks on other products which, because of their high protein content, could have been subject to adulteration practices similar to those applied to the milk products, although there is at present no evidence that this has been the case. Whilst controls were, pursuant to Decision 2008/757/EC, limited to products containing at least 15% of milk products, Member States have been reporting significant difficulties in establishing the exact milk product content of a number of composite products targeted by the interim measures. The new measures streamline and simplify control tasks imposed on Member States by the interim measures adopted on 26 September. On the one hand such controls have to be carried out on a limited number of control points specifically designated for that purpose by the Member States. On the other hand, Member States will not have to establish the exact amount of milk product content on imported products in order to decide whether analytical tests are required, as the new measures will require systematic checks on all milk containing products irrespective of the exact amount of such content. The measures shall be regularly reassessed in the light of the results of the controls carried out by the Member States.
Commission Decision of 14 October 2008 imposing special conditions governing the import of products containing milk or milk products originating in or consigned from China, and repealing Commission Decision 2008/757/EC [pdf]
Top
Avian Influenza: Highly pathogenic H5N1 virus confirmed in Saxony
13/10/2008
The European Commission adopted today a decision confirming the risk areas set up by the German authorities in relation to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza on a poultry farm in the commune of Markersdorf, in Saxony, close to the Polish border. The German authorities informed the Commission yesterday about a suspected outbreak of highly pathogenic avian flu. Germany's national laboratory confirmed today that the outbreak concerns the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza. The German authorities applied immediately the necessary control measures laid down in EU legislation and set up risk areas around the outbreak. The situation will be reviewed at the next Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) on 15 October. Last night, the German authorities culled all poultry on the farm, i.e. 800 geese, 550 ducks, 60 chicken and 24 turkeys. The measures laid down in the Avian Influenza Directive 2005/94/EC and the additional measures for the H5N1 virus have been applied. They entail the establishment of a protection zone of 3 km radius and a surveillance zone of 10 km around the infected holding. The area covered by the protection zone and the surveillance zone is classified as a high risk area (area A), which is surrounded by a low risk area (area B) acting as a buffer zone to the disease-free parts of the country. Strict movement controls are in place. Poultry must be kept indoors, gatherings of poultry and other birds are banned, and on-farm bio security measures are strengthened. Today's Commission decision confirms the areas A and B set up in Germany. This is the first outbreak of the highly avian influenza H5N1 in a poultry holding in the EU in 2008. The last outbreak in a poultry farm caused by this virus was confirmed on 25 December 2007 in Germany in the land of Brandenburg. In wild birds the last case was detected at the end of February 2008 in the UK.
Top
02/10/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
Today's launch of the "Financial Transparency system" website and search engine will allow, for the first time ever, free access to details of who receives EU funds managed directly by the Commission and its executive agencies. Based on accounting data, it provides a consolidated view of the previous financial year and contains approximately 28,000 entries on Commission-run programmes in policy areas like research, education and culture, energy and transport and certain aspects of aid to third countries. This new search engine will allow users to analyse and compare information on beneficiaries and policy areas more easily. It is one of the building blocks in the Commission's wider European Transparency Initiative (ETI).
In a parallel development, all Member States should put in place by 30 September 2008 a website with information on payments from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) made between 1 January and 15 October 2007. Each website shall for all beneficiaries provide details such as the name of the beneficiary, the municipality of residence and the total amount of public funding received (Community and national). The Commission has set up a web-portal which provides access to the national websites. By 30 April 2009, Member States must publish details of the recipients of all other agricultural payments.
Member State websites providing information on beneficiaries of CAP payments (shared management)
Top
Commission transmits to Council proposal to authorise a GM soybean
30/09/2008
The Commission will transmit to the Council a proposal to authorise a genetically modified (GM) soybean after Member States did not endorse it today during a meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH). The Commission presented today to SCoFCAH the proposal for the authorisation of GM soybean MON89788, also known as "RoundupReady2" soybean, for import and processing and food and feed uses. The authorisation of this GM soybean is important as it will help preventing shortages in supply of the EU livestock industry with soybean imports from third countries. Member States returned no definitive opinion, either for or against the proposal, during the SCoFCAH meeting. The Commission tabled the proposal following an application submitted by the American food biotechnology company Monsanto and a favourable scientific assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which addressed all safety concerns. EFSA concluded that there is no risk to human or animal health or to the environment. As a result of today's inconclusive vote, the Commission will now transmit the dossier to the Council for a decision. If the Council does not reach a position within three months, the proposal will be sent back to the Commission for final adoption.
Top
Commissioner Fischer Boel's website
Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
"Prospects for rural development policy" (Conference organised by the Commission "Europe's rural areas in action: facing the challenges of tomorrow", Limassol, Cyprus, 16/10/2008)
"Getting the most out of EU quality food and drink" (Speaking points at Press conference, Brussels, 15/10/2008)
"Keeping our head in uncertain times" [pdf] (Club Demeter, Brussels, 14/10/2008)
"Mountain areas in European Union policies" (6th European Mountain Convention, Brig, Switzerland, 09/10/2008)
Blog entry: "No return to the Age of Ideology" (07/10/2008)
"Observations on a CAP for the future" (Congress of European Farmers 2008 organised by COPA/COGECA, Brussels, 30/09/2008)
"The CAP Health Check: an opportunity for regions" (Seminar by ARF, Association des Régions de France, Clermont-Ferrand, 25/09/2008)
"Method and sense: asking questions about a CAP for after 2013" (Informal Agriculture Council, Annecy, 23/09/2008)
"Agriculture in the future: a challenge for European young farmers" (CEJA [European Council of Young Farmers] seminar, Annecy, 21/09/2008)
Top
Publications
What's new on the Commission's "Agriculture and Rural Development" website?
"The EU Forest Action Plan 2007-2011" [pdf, also available in: DE | FR ]
Green Paper on agricultural product quality: product standards, farming requirements and quality schemes
MAP 02/08: "The 2008 Outlook for World Agricultural Commodity Markets"
"Other gainful activities: pluriactivity and farm diversification in EU-27": Text [pdf] - Slide show [pdf]
"The importance and contribution of the agri-food sector to the sustainable development of rural areas" [pdf]
Top
EU agricultural product quality policy: PDO, PGI or TSG
Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
Applications for registration:
'Kiwi de l'Adour': PGI (OJ C 263 - 16/10/2008, p. 5)
'Petit Épeautre de Haute Provence': PGI (OJ C 261 - 14/10/2008, p. 11)
'Olej rydzowy': TSG (OJ C 244 - 25/09/2008, p. 27)
'Znojemské pivo': PGI (OJ C 244 - 25/09/2008, p. 23)
Applications to amend a specification:
'Queso Manchego': PDO (OJ C 255 - 08/10/2008, p. 10)
'Kölsch': PGI (OJ C 254 - 07/10/2008, p. 12)
Registrations:
'Radicchio di Chioggia': PGI (OJ L 277 - 18/10/2008, p. 30)
' eské pivo': PGI, 'Cebreiro': PDO (OJ L 276 - 17/10/2008, p. 27)
'Presunto de Campo Maior e Elvas' or 'Paleta de Campo Maior e Elvas': PGI, 'Presunto de Santana da Serra' or 'Paleta de Santana da Serra': PGI, 'Slovensky oatiepok': PGI (OJ L 258 - 26/09/2008, p. 52)
'Salame S. Angelo': PGI, 'Chouriço Azedo de Vinhais' or 'Azedo de Vinhais' or 'Chouriço de Pâo de Vinhais': PGI, 'Presunto do Alentejo' or 'Paleta do Alentejo': PDO (OJ L 258 - 26/09/2008, p. 54)
Amendment of specifications:
'Chasselas de Moissac': PDO (OJ L 278 - 21/10/2008, p. 7)
'Panellets': TSG (OJ L 263 - 02/10/2008, p. 3)
'Époisses': PDO (OJ L 258 - 26/09/2008, p. 50)
'Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura' or 'Bleu de Septmoncel': PDO (OJ L 257 - 25/09/2008, p. 8)
'Roquefort': PDO (OJ L 257 - 25/09/2008, p. 10)
'Rocamadour': PDO (OJ L 257 - 25/09/2008, p. 12)
Top
This service is brought to you by European Commission
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Communication Unit
B-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please log in here.
Send your comments and questions to the editor.
To receive a PLAIN TEXT version of the News Digest, please log in and change your subscription.
All previous issues of the Agriculture News Digest are available in the archive.
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than the Agriculture and Rural Development DG.
Legal notice: The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the European Commission and represent their personal views on the subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural Development.
(C) European Communities, 2002-2008
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - AGRICULTURE NEWS DIGEST
No. 191, 23 October 2008
Contents:
(1) Commission launches EU school milk campaign
(2) EU to restore import customs duties on cereals
(3) New database on food quality product names
(4) European Network for Rural Development goes live
(5) Getting the most out of EU quality food and drink: Commission launches
a consultation on agricultural product quality
(6) Milk quotas: Levies for exceeding milk quota total EUR 340 million
(7) Commission submitted updated measures on China milk products to the
Member States
(8) Avian Influenza: Highly pathogenic H5N1 virus confirmed in Saxony
(9) Who gets EU cash? New website gives details of beneficiaries
(10) Commission transmits to Council proposal to authorise a GM soybean
(11) Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
(12) What's new on the Commission's "Agriculture and Rural Development"
web site?
(13) Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
---------------------------------------------------------
(1) COMMISSION LAUNCHES EU SCHOOL MILK CAMPAIGN
17/10/2008 - Today in Cyprus, European Commissioner for Agriculture,
Mariann Fischer Boel, will launch an EU-wide campaign to promote the
relaunched School Milk Programme. Under the slogan "Milk - Drink it up",
the information campaign aims to raise awareness of the benefits of milk
consumption and the availability of EU funds to schools. During a day
dedicated to balanced diet and good eating habits organised by pupils of
Panagia Triherousa school in Limassol, Commissioner Fischer Boel,
Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou, and Dr Michalis Polynikis,
Minister for Agriculture of Cyprus, will kick off a series of entertaining
and educative events. As part of this campaign, young people will be
invited to take part in a photo competition on the theme "Milk power".
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1545&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Campaign website at
http://www.drinkitup.europa.eu/
(2) EU TO RESTORE IMPORT CUSTOMS DUTIES ON CEREALS
17/10/2008 - Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural
Development, announced that customs duties on cereals imports will be
reintroduced as a reaction to the price decrease on the cereals market.
A draft Regulation was put to the Management Committee for the Common
Organisation of Agricultural Markets yesterday. It has now to be formally
adopted by the Commission and will enter into force on the third day
following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. There
are no export refunds on cereals exports.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1542&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(3) NEW DATABASE ON FOOD QUALITY PRODUCT NAMES
17/10/2008 - The Commission today launched a new database of protected
quality names for agricultural products and foodstuffs. By using the
'Database Of Origin and Registration' (DOOR), researchers, producers,
agricultural journalists and interested citizens now have easy access to
full information on the registered names: PDOs, PGIs and TSGs. Commenting
on the new database, Marianne Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture
and Rural Development, said: "This important project illustrates the
Commission's commitment to the agricultural quality schemes. DOOR will cut
the time taken for examination and greatly facilitate the work of all
those seeking data and information on our registered quality names."
DOOR comprises data on 832 registered names: PDOs (Protected Designations
of Origin), and PGIs (Protected Geographical Indications), and TSGs
(Traditional Specialities Guaranteed), as well as 323 applied-for names.
When complete, DOOR will consist of three modules: an online application
system, a workflow management system within the Commission, and the on-line
database available today.
DOOR Database of Origin and Registration at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/database/index_en.htm
More on PDOs, PGIs and TSGs at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/schemes/index_en.htm
(4) EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT GOES LIVE
16/10/2008 - The European Commission will tomorrow launch the European
Network for Rural Development at a high-profile conference on rural
development in Cyprus. The Network will bring together policy-makers,
administrators, academics and other key actors in the area of rural
development from across the European Union, thus making it easier for them
to share ideas, information and experience. This will help keep the
European Union's rural development policy fit for the demands of the 21st
century.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1525&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Proceedings of the conference at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/events/cyprus2008/index_en.htm
(5) GETTING THE MOST OUT OF EU QUALITY FOOD AND DRINK: COMMISSION LAUNCHES
A CONSULTATION ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT QUALITY
15/10/2008 - The European Commission today adopted a Green Paper to open
the debate on how to help European farmers make the most of the quality
of the food and drinks they produce. As globalisation spreads, pressure
increases from low cost products from overseas and consumer demands evolve,
Europe's most potent weapon is 'quality'. The Green Paper looks at the
range of standards, quality and certification programmes and labelling
schemes currently operating in the EU (including geographical indications,
organic farming, and private and regional food quality certification
schemes) and asks what could be done better to exploit the strengths of
EU farming and better inform consumers about the products on offer. The
paper asks stakeholders to give their views on how effective these measures
are in delivering guarantees and communicating the qualities of the
products, and to suggest improvements. The consultation period will run
until the end of 2008. A Communication will be prepared next year based
on the results, which could lead to legislative proposals at a later stage.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1503&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
To take part in the consultation:
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/policy/index_en.htm
(6) MILK QUOTAS: LEVIES FOR EXCEEDING MILK QUOTA TOTAL EUR 340 MILLION
13/10/2008 - Certain Member States face levies totalling just over EUR 340
million for exceeding their milk quotas during the 2007/2008 marketing
year, according to a provisional calculation by the European Commission,
based on Member States' annual declarations. Last year the total levy
amounted to EUR 221 million. Seven Member States (Austria, Cyprus, Ireland,
Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, and Netherlands) exceeded their delivery
quotas. Altogether these account for an overrun of 1,217,000 tonnes,
resulting in a levy of EUR 338.7 million. Some 47% of the total is due
to excess deliveries in Italy and 30% of the levy is due from Germany.
Italy exceeded its delivery quota by 5.7%, Cyprus exceeded by 3.9% and
Austria by 3.2%. As for direct sales to consumers, Cyprus, Luxembourg and
the Netherlands reported overruns, totalling 4,673 tonnes resulting in a
levy for direct sales of EUR 1.3 million, of which 92% is due from the
Netherlands.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1489&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(7) COMMISSION SUBMITTED UPDATED MEASURES ON CHINA MILK PRODUCTS TO THE
MEMBER STATES
13/10/2008 - Last Friday, the European Commission discussed how to update
the existing measures to respond to the melamine contaminated milk from
China with the Member States. The set of reinforced measures discussed and
agreed by Member States, replace the interim measures provisionally adopted
by the Commission on 26 September last (Decision 2008/757/EC). The new
measures update and supplement the measures adopted two weeks ago, which
consisted of a ban on imports of products intended for the particular
nutritional uses of infants or young children and of systematic checks
on other composite products containing milk prior to import into the
Community. Member States may also perform random checks on other products
which, because of their high protein content, could have been subject to
adulteration practices similar to those applied to the milk products,
although there is at present no evidence that this has been the case.
Whilst controls were, pursuant to Decision 2008/757/EC, limited to products
containing at least 15% of milk products, Member States have been reporting
significant difficulties in establishing the exact milk product content of
a number of composite products targeted by the interim measures. The new
measures streamline and simplify control tasks imposed on Member States
by the interim measures adopted on 26 September. On the one hand such
controls have to be carried out on a limited number of control points
specifically designated for that purpose by the Member States. On the
other hand, Member States will not have to establish the exact amount of
milk product content on imported products in order to decide whether
analytical tests are required, as the new measures will require systematic
checks on all milk containing products irrespective of the exact amount of
such content. The measures shall be regularly reassessed in the light of
the results of the controls carried out by the Member States.
Commission Decision of 14 October 2008 imposing special conditions
governing the import of products containing milk or milk products
originating in or consigned from China, and repealing Commission Decision
2008/757/EC:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:273:0018:0020:EN:PDF
(8) AVIAN INFLUENZA: HIGHLY PATHOGENIC H5N1 VIRUS CONFIRMED IN SAXONY
13/10/2008 - The European Commission adopted today a decision confirming
the risk areas set up by the German authorities in relation to an outbreak
of highly pathogenic avian influenza on a poultry farm in the commune of
Markersdorf, in Saxony, close to the Polish border. The German authorities
informed the Commission yesterday about a suspected outbreak of highly
pathogenic avian flu. Germany's national laboratory confirmed today that
the outbreak concerns the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
The German authorities applied immediately the necessary control measures
laid down in EU legislation and set up risk areas around the outbreak.
The situation will be reviewed at the next Standing Committee on the Food
Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) on 15 October. Last night, the German
authorities culled all poultry on the farm, i.e. 800 geese, 550 ducks,
60 chicken and 24 turkeys. The measures laid down in the Avian Influenza
Directive 2005/94/EC and the additional measures for the H5N1 virus have
been applied. They entail the establishment of a protection zone of 3 km
radius and a surveillance zone of 10 km around the infected holding. The
area covered by the protection zone and the surveillance zone is classified
as a high risk area (area A), which is surrounded by a low risk area
(area B) acting as a buffer zone to the disease-free parts of the country.
Strict movement controls are in place. Poultry must be kept indoors,
gatherings of poultry and other birds are banned, and on-farm bio security
measures are strengthened. Today's Commission decision confirms the areas
A and B set up in Germany. This is the first outbreak of the highly avian
influenza H5N1 in a poultry holding in the EU in 2008. The last outbreak
in a poultry farm caused by this virus was confirmed on 25 December 2007
in Germany in the land of Brandenburg. In wild birds the last case was
detected at the end of February 2008 in the UK.
(9) WHO GETS EU CASH? NEW WEBSITE GIVES DETAILS OF BENEFICIARIES
02/10/2008 - Today's launch of the "Financial Transparency system" website
and search engine will allow, for the first time ever, free access to
details of who receives EU funds managed directly by the Commission and its
executive agencies. Based on accounting data, it provides a consolidated
view of the previous financial year and contains approximately 28,000
entries on Commission-run programmes in policy areas like research,
education and culture, energy and transport and certain aspects of aid to
third countries. This new search engine will allow users to analyse and
compare information on beneficiaries and policy areas more easily. It is
one of the building blocks in the Commission's wider European Transparency
Initiative (ETI).
In a parallel development, all Member States should put in place by
30 September 2008 a website with information on payments from the European
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) made between 1 January and
15 October 2007. Each website shall for all beneficiaries provide details
such as the name of the beneficiary, the municipality of residence and
the total amount of public funding received (Community and national). The
Commission has set up a web-portal which provides access to the national
websites. By 30 April 2009, Member States must publish details of the
recipients of all other agricultural payments.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1444&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Member State websites providing information on beneficiaries of CAP
payments (shared management) at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/funding/index_en.htm
(10) COMMISSION TRANSMITS TO COUNCIL PROPOSAL TO AUTHORISE A GM SOYBEAN
30/09/2008 - The Commission will transmit to the Council a proposal to
authorise a genetically modified (GM) soybean after Member States did not
endorse it today during a meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food
Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH). The Commission presented today to
SCoFCAH the proposal for the authorisation of GM soybean MON89788, also
known as "RoundupReady2" soybean, for import and processing and food and
feed uses. The authorisation of this GM soybean is important as it will
help preventing shortages in supply of the EU livestock industry with
soybean imports from third countries. Member States returned no definitive
opinion, either for or against the proposal, during the SCoFCAH meeting.
The Commission tabled the proposal following an application submitted by
the American food biotechnology company Monsanto and a favourable
scientific assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),
which addressed all safety concerns. EFSA concluded that there is no risk
to human or animal health or to the environment. As a result of today's
inconclusive vote, the Commission will now transmit the dossier to the
Council for a decision. If the Council does not reach a position within
three months, the proposal will be sent back to the Commission for final
adoption.
(11) COMMISSIONER FISCHER BOEL: SPEECHES AND BLOG ENTRIES
"Prospects for rural development policy" (Conference organised by the
Commission "Europe's rural areas in action: facing the challenges of
tomorrow", Limassol, Cyprus, 16/10/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/533&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Getting the most out of EU quality food and drink" (Speaking points at
Press conference, Brussels, 15/10/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/526&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Keeping our head in uncertain times" (Club Demeter, Brussels, 14/10/2008)
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/fischer-boel/speeches/demeter_en.pdf
"Mountain areas in European Union policies" (6th European Mountain
Convention, Brig, Switzerland, 09/10/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/512&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Blog entry: "No return to the Age of Ideology" (07/10/2008)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/no-return-to-the-age-of-ideology/
"Observations on a CAP for the future" (Congress of European Farmers 2008
organised by COPA/COGECA, Brussels, 30/09/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/472&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"The CAP Health Check: an opportunity for regions" (Seminar by ARF,
Association des Régions de France, Clermont-Ferrand, 25/09/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/461&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Method and sense: asking questions about a CAP for after 2013" (Informal
Agriculture Council, Annecy, 23/09/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/452&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Agriculture in the future: a challenge for European young farmers" (CEJA
[European Council of Young Farmers] seminar, Annecy, 21/09/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/448&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(12) WHAT'S NEW ON THE COMMISSION'S "AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT"
WEB SITE?
"The EU Forest Action Plan 2007-2011"
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/fore/publi/2007_2011/brochure_en.pdf
Green Paper on agricultural product quality: product standards, farming
requirements and quality schemes
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/policy/index_en.htm
MAP 02/08: "The 2008 Outlook for World Agricultural Commodity Markets"
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/publi/map/index_en.htm
"Other gainful activities: pluriactivity and farm diversification in EU-27"
Text at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/markets/gainful/text_en.pdf
Slide show at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/markets/gainful/slides_en.pdf
"The importance and contribution of the agri-food sector to the sustainable
development of rural areas"
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/markets/agrifood/text_en.pdf
(8) REGISTRATION AS PDO, PGI OR TSG
Applications for registration:
'Kiwi de l'Adour': PGI (OJ C 263, 16/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:263:0005:0008:EN:PDF
'Petit Épeautre de Haute Provence': PGI (OJ C 261, 14/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:261:0011:0014:EN:PDF
'Olej rydzowy': TSG (OJ C 244, 25/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:244:0027:0031:EN:PDF
'Znojemské pivo': PGI (OJ C 244, 25/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:244:0023:0026:EN:PDF
Applications to amend a specification:
'Queso Manchego': PDO (OJ C 255, 08/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:255:0010:0015:EN:PDF
'Kölsch': PGI (OJ C 254, 07/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:254:0012:0016:EN:PDF
Registrations:
'Radicchio di Chioggia': PGI (OJ L 277, 18/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:277:0030:0030:EN:PDF
'?eské pivo': PGI, 'Cebreiro': PDO (OJ L 276, 17/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:276:0027:0028:EN:PDF
'Presunto de Campo Maior e Elvas' or 'Paleta de Campo Maior e Elvas': PGI,
'Presunto de Santana da Serra' or 'Paleta de Santana da Serra': PGI,
'Slovensky o?tiepok': PGI (OJ L 258, 26/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:258:0052:0053:EN:PDF
'Salame S. Angelo': PGI, 'Chouriço Azedo de Vinhais' or 'Azedo de Vinhais'
or 'Chouriço de Pâo de Vinhais': PGI, 'Presunto do Alentejo' or 'Paleta do
Alentejo': PDO (OJ L 258, 26/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:258:0054:0055:EN:PDF
Amendment of specifications:
'Chasselas de Moissac': PDO (OJ L 278, 21/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:278:0007:0008:EN:PDF
'Panellets': TSG (OJ L 263, 02/10/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:263:0003:0004:EN:PDF
'Époisses': PDO (OJ L 258, 26/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:258:0050:0051:EN:PDF
'Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura' or 'Bleu de Septmoncel': PDO (OJ L 257, 25/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:257:0008:0009:EN:PDF
'Roquefort': PDO (OJ L 257, 25/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:257:0010:0011:EN:PDF
'Rocamadour': PDO (OJ L 257, 25/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:257:0012:0013:EN:PDF
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - AGRICULTURE NEWS DIGEST
No. 190, 17 September 2008
Contents:
(1) Commission proposes to expand food programme for the most deprived
persons in the European Union
(2) Commission proposes compulsory origin labelling for virgin and extra
virgin olive oil
(3) Commission adopts action plan to facilitate better implementation of
animal health strategy
(4) Commission authorises GM soybean A2704-12
(5) Commissioner Fischer Boel wins International Wine Challenge 'Wine
Personality of the Year 2008
(6) New rules on pesticide residues to strengthen food safety in the
European Union
(7) Health Check and future perspectives of the CAP: challenges for
agriculture: a day of scientific dialogue
(8) Mergers: Commission approves proposed acquisition of certain
Schering-Plough animal health products by Pfizer
(9) Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
(10) Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
(11) Calls for tender
---------------------------------------------------------
(1) COMMISSION PROPOSES TO EXPAND FOOD PROGRAMME FOR THE MOST DEPRIVED
PERSONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
17/09/2008 - The European Commission today proposed to improve the current
food distribution programme for the most deprived persons in the European
Union by increasing the budget by two thirds to around EUR 500 million from
2009 and extending the range of products which can be provided.
Originally designed to provide surplus stocks of farm produce ("intervention
stocks") to needy people, the scheme was amended in the mid-1990s to make
it possible to supplement intervention stocks with market purchases in
certain circumstances. Now that surplus stocks are extremely low and
unlikely to increase in the foreseeable future, the scheme should allow
market purchases on a permanent basis, to complement remaining intervention
stocks.
The choice of food would be for the Member States and food distribution
plans would be established for three-year periods. Food would continue to
be distributed in cooperation with charities and local social services.
From the 2010/12 plan, the scheme would be co-financed (75 percent from
the EU budget, and 85 percent in cohesion areas). From the 2013/15 plan,
co-financing would be split 50/50, with the EU budget providing 75 percent
in cohesion regions.
The Commission believes an increase in the budget to be necessary because
rising food prices are adversely affecting the food security of needy
people and increasing the cost of providing food aid. In 2006, more than
13 million EU citizens benefited from this aid scheme. The revised
programme should be available from 2010.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1335&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Proposal, Impact assessment report and further documents at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/freefood/index_en.htm
(2) COMMISSION PROPOSES COMPULSORY ORIGIN LABELLING FOR VIRGIN AND EXTRA
VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
17/09/2008 - Today Member States discussed a draft European Commission
proposal to introduce compulsory origin labelling for virgin and extra
virgin olive oil. Rules introduced in 2002 established optional labelling
for these oils, but this has proved insufficient to avoid consumers being
misled about the true characteristics and origin of certain products. As
a result of agricultural traditions and local extraction and blending
practices, such oils may be of quite different taste and quality depending
on their geographical origin. Therefore, the Commission intends to propose
compulsory origin labelling for virgin and extra virgin olive oil. Oils
coming from just one country will carry the name of the country of origin.
Blends will be labelled either "blend of Community olive oils", "blend of
non-Community olive oils", "blend of Community and non-Community olive
oils" or, equivalent indications. Certain terms describing the organoleptic
characteristics referring to the taste and/or smell of virgin and extra
virgin olives have recently been defined by the International Olive Council
and it is intended that these terms may also be used on labels. Following
today's discussion, the Commission intends to notify the draft rules to
the World Trade Organisation TBT (Technical Barriers to Trade) Committee,
a procedure which allows a period for comments of 60 days. A vote on a
draft proposal is expected around the end of 2008. If adopted, new rules
would apply from 1 July 2009.
(3) COMMISSION ADOPTS ACTION PLAN TO FACILITATE BETTER IMPLEMENTATION OF
ANIMAL HEALTH STRATEGY
10/09/2008 - The European Commission adopted today a Communication laying
down the Action Plan for the implementation of the EU's animal health
strategy. The Action Plan contains the key actions and their indicative
timetable. These actions are structured around four pillars. Within the
pillar "Prioritisation of EU intervention" the Commission will develop
profiling and categorisation of animal disease risks by 2010 which will
provide the basis to prioritise actions in order to ensure that interventions
and resources can be focused on diseases of high relevance. The pillar
"EU Animal Health framework" provides for a proposal for an EU Animal
Health Law by 2010 to replace the current series of policy areas with a
single regulatory framework. A legislative proposal concerning a harmonised
EU framework for responsibility and cost-sharing in detecting and
eradicating diseases is planned by 2011. In terms of "Prevention,
surveillance and preparedness" the Action Plan focuses on an overall
reinforcement of biosecurity measures. It explores the scope to make the
fullest use possible of Community funds when addressing actions which will
have a positive impact on animal health. Disease surveillance will be
stepped up and traceability will be strengthened by 2011. A legislative
proposal for better border biosecurity will be adopted by 2010. Finally,
the pillar "Science, innovation and research" will provide for enhanced
cooperation between key players such as the European Food Safety Authority
(EFSA), European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and Joint Research Centre (JRC).
Stakeholders can follow the progress of these different actions through a
dedicated website at
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/strategy/actionplan_en.htm
Questions and Answers on the Action Plan at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/557&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(4) COMMISSION AUTHORISES GM SOYBEAN A2704-12
08/09/2008 - The European Commission adopted today a Decision authorising
GM soybean A2704-12 for feed and food uses and for import and processing.
A2704-12 soybean received a positive safety assessment from the European
Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and underwent the full authorisation procedure
set out in the EU legislation. Member States did not reach a qualified
majority decision for or against this authorisation in the Standing
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH), and then in the
Council, the dossier was sent back to the Commission for decision. The
authorisation is valid for 10 years, and any products produced from this
GM soybean will be subject to the EU's strict labelling and traceability
rules.
More information at
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/index_en.htm
(5) COMMISSIONER FISCHER BOEL WINS INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 'WINE
PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2008
04/09/2008 - Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural
Development, was yesterday awarded the Wine Personality of the Year 2008
award by the International Wine Challenge. The IWC has been running for
more than 25 years and is an internationally renowned wine competition.
Every year, the IWC names a Wine Personality of the Year. In giving the
award, the IWC said: "In years to come, European wine producers may tell
their children stories about Mariann Fischer Boel. Of how the family
vineyards might have been pulled up and the family winemaking tradition
lost had it not been for the intrepid heroine from the north. She has
dragged the European wine industry into the 21st century, after loud
protests and long arguments. Against huge opposition, she has persuaded
country after country to accept the sometimes bitter medicine of reform.
There have been a few compromises, but the European wine industry is now
prepared to meet the competition from outside Europe leaner and fitter
than it has been for decades. Mariann Fischer Boel has cajoled and
persuaded, argued and negotiated, for two long years. Her reform programme
was adopted by the EU Council of Ministers in April 2008, and came into
force on 1st August. It is a heroic achievement, and she richly deserves
to be named the IWC Wine Personality of the Year 2008."
(6) NEW RULES ON PESTICIDE RESIDUES TO STRENGTHEN FOOD SAFETY IN THE
EUROPEAN UNION
01/09/2008 - The European Commission made today an important step forward
in its efforts to ensure food safety in the European Union, as a regulation
revising and simplifying the rules pertaining to pesticide residues
entered into force. The new rules set harmonised Maximum Residue Levels
(MRLs) for pesticides. They ensure food safety for all consumers and allow
traders and importers to do business smoothly as confusion over dealing
with 27 lists of national MRLs is eliminated. With the previous regime,
different MRLs could apply to the same pesticide for the same crop in
different Member States, a situation which gave rise to questions from
consumers, farmers and traders. Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 is the result
of a considerable joint effort by the Commission, the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA) and the Member States.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1282&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(7) HEALTH CHECK AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES OF THE CAP: CHALLENGES FOR
AGRICULTURE: A DAY OF SCIENTIFIC DIALOGUE
29/08/2008 - On 28 August the European Commission hosted a seminar on the
Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy in Brussels. The CAP Health
Check, currently under discussion, will ensure that the CAP is fit for the
challenges of the 21st century. At the seminar, which formed part of the
12th Congress of the European Association of Agricultural Economists,
experts from the Commission and from academia talked about the economic
context of the Health Check as well as its possible implications for
production, trade, the environment and sustainability as a whole.
Details at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/events/eaae/2008_en.htm
(8) MERGERS: COMMISSION APPROVES PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF CERTAIN SCHERING-
PLOUGH ANIMAL HEALTH PRODUCTS BY PFIZER
27/08/2008 - The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger
Regulation the proposed acquisition of certain animal health assets of
Schering-Plough (SP Assets) by Pfizer, both U.S. pharmaceutical companies.
After examining the operation, the Commission concluded that the proposed
transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the
European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.
The overlaps between the activities of Pfizer and the SP Assets are
limited in most markets. The Commission?s examination of the proposed
transaction showed that the new entity would continue to face several
significant competitors in all the relevant markets for animal vaccines
and pharmaceuticals and that farmers and veterinarians across the EEA
would continue to have access to alternative suppliers post-merger.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1274&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(9) COMMISSIONER FISCHER BOEL: SPEECHES AND BLOG ENTRIES
Speaking points for the press (Press conference on the Commission proposal
to expand food programme for the most deprived persons in the European
Union, Brussels, 17/09/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/436&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Blog entry: "Time to roll up our sleeves" (15/09/2008)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/time-to-roll-up-our-sleeves/
"Building a stable framework for the meat sector" (World Meat Congress,
Capetown, South Africa, 09/09/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/412&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Keeping our maps up to date: trade and trade rules in a changing world"
(Speech at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, 08/09/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/410&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"New challenges for rural development after the CAP Health Check" [speech
given on behalf of Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel: pdf] ("Riga Food
2008" fair, Latvia, 03/09/2008)
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/riga_food_2008.pdf
(10) REGISTRATION AS PDO, PGI OR TSG
Applications for registration:
'Andruty kaliskie': PGI (OJ C 233, 11/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:233:0016:0018:EN:PDF
Applications to amend a specification:
'Jamón de Teruel': PDO (OJ C 234, 12/09/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:234:0016:0018:EN:PDF
(11) CALLS FOR TENDER
"Study on modelling of feed consumption in the European Union"
[Deadline for submission: 12/11/2008]
Contract notice and tender documents at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/tenderdocs/2008/219620/index_en.htm
"Provision of public goods through the European Union agriculture"
[Deadline for submission: 10/11/2008]
Contract notice and tender documents at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/tenderdocs/2008/219598/index_en.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------
This service is brought to you by:
European Commission
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Communication Unit
B-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please visit
http://ec.europa.eu/coreservices/mailing/index.cfm?serviceid=1551
Please send your comments and questions to agri-newsdigest@ec.europa.eu
Html versions of this edition and all previous issues of the
Agriculture News Digest are available at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/newsdigest/archive_en.htm
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under
the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than
DG Agriculture and Rural Development.
Legal notice:
The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the
European Commission and represent their personal views on the
subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any
way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied
upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural
Development. Our goal is to keep the information in this digest
timely and accurate. However the Commission accepts no responsibility
or liability whatsoever with regard to this information.
(c) European Communities, 2002-2008
No. 189 - 13 August 2008Agriculture on Europa Top
Export refunds for fresh and frozen pig meat suspended
08/08/2008
A proposal from the European Commission to set the export refunds for fresh and frozen pig meat at zero has been discussed by the Management Committee for the Common organisation of agricultural markets yesterday. The export refunds (EUR 31.1/100 kg for carcasses and cuts and EUR 19.4/100 kg for bellies) were re-introduced in November 2007, as a temporary measure to respond to the difficult market situation due to the combination of over-supply of EU production and high feed costs. Helped by the increased refunds and the introduction of private storage aid, the EU pig meat market started to recover since the beginning of this year: Pig carcass prices are now on average about 30% higher than in November 2007, EU exports increased considerably and feed costs are decreasing. Furthermore, EU pig meat production is forecast to decrease significantly in the second half of 2008. Given all those elements, the Commission decided to set the refunds for fresh and frozen carcasses, cuts and bellies back at zero, starting from today. The Commission will continue to monitor the market situation closely and, if appropriate, take further action.
Top
07/08/2008Also available in:
BG | DA | DE | ES | FR | IT | HU | NL | PL | RO
Favourable weather conditions and an increase in the planted area farmed should lead to a total cereals harvest close to 301 M tonnes for this year in the European Union, 43 M tonnes more than in 2007. This represents an increase of 16% on the 2007 harvest and 9% on the past five years' average production. This forecast, published today by the European Commission, is based on an updated analysis by the Commission's in-house scientific service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), using an advanced crop yield forecasting system.
Detailed forecasts by crop and country
Top
School Fruit Scheme: Which role for the European Union?
Commission invites submission of posters for forthcoming conference on School Fruit Scheme
05/08/2008
On 8 July 2008, the European Commission presented its proposal for the introduction of an EU-wide School Fruit Scheme (SFS). In order to kick-start the linked networking activities, the Commission is now organising a major conference, bringing together experts from all Member states. This event will take place in Brussels in December 2008. As part of this conference there will be a poster exhibition of best practice models to provide SFS project promoters and stakeholders with examples for establishing or improving a School Fruit Scheme. Interested parties are now invited to submit models as posters for this exhibition. These posters must be designed to deliver 'operational' information in an easily understandable way. The posters will be exhibited during the conference and published on the Europa website.
Full details on how to submit best practice models
Top
01/08/2008Also available in:
DE | FR
Negotiators have reached a preliminary agreement to further liberalise trade in agricultural and processed agricultural products and fish and fishery products between the European Union and the State of Israel, following technical verification of the Common Understanding reached on 30 April 2008 in Bet-Dagan (Israel) on bilateral tariff concessions. This will form the basis of a future agreement, subject to completion of both sides' internal procedures. The new trade concessions represent a major step forward in the integration of the EU and Israeli markets.
Top
Vacancy for Deputy Director at the International Olive Council
01/08/2008
As the intergovernmental organisation in charge of administering the 2005 International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, the International Olive Council (IOC) is a unique multilateral organisation working for world olive farming. The European Community is a member of the IOC, where it represents 27 Member States and makes a substantial contribution to its operational budgets. A vacancy has now arisen for the post of Deputy Director responsible for administration and financial affairs, studies and evaluations, until November 2010, subsequently to be appointed Executive Director until 2014. The post is based in Madrid in the IOC Executive Secretariat, whose job it is to help the Council of Members and its Committees carry through the duties they are assigned under the International Agreement. EU citizens are invited to find out more from the Vacancy Notice and application details published today.
Top
Reform of the wine sector
Wine reform enters into force on 1 August 2008
01/08/2008
Today marks the entry into force of the wide-ranging reform of the Common Market Organisation for wine on which agriculture ministers reached agreement in December 2007. The changes will bring balance to the wine market, phase out wasteful and expensive market intervention measures and allow the budget to be used for more positive, proactive measures which will boost the competitiveness of European wines. The reform provides for a fast restructuring of the wine sector in that it includes a voluntary, three-year grubbing-up scheme to provide an alternative for uncompetitive producers and to remove surplus and uncompetitive wine from the market. Subsidies for crisis distillation and potable alcohol distillation will be phased out and the money, allocated in national envelopes, can be used for measures like wine promotion on third country markets, innovation, restructuring and modernisation of vineyards and cellars. The reform will ensure environmental protection in wine-growing regions, safeguard traditional and well-established quality policies and simplify labelling rules, for the benefit of producers and consumers alike. The very restrictive planting rights system will also be abolished at EU level from 1 January 2016 onwards. Most of the measures in the reform package come into force on 1 August 2008. Those relating to labelling, wine-making practices and Geographical Indications enter into force on 1 August 2009.
Top
Organic farming
25/07/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR | NL
The European Commission will launch the European Union's new Organic Farming Campaign today at the Foire de Libramont agricultural fair in Belgium. Under the campaign slogan: "Organic farming. Good for nature, good for you", the promotional campaign aims to inform consumers about the meaning and benefits of organic farming and food production. The campaign will focus on increasing consumer awareness and recognition of organic products, and especially on young people and children to carry the organic idea into the future.
Top
Promotional measures
24/07/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
The European Commission has approved 31 programmes in 16 Member States (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom) 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 EUR 92.4 million, of which the EU will contribute half. The selected programmes cover organic products, agricultural quality products (PDO, PGI, TSG), dairy products, meat, wine, fruit and vegetables, oil, plants and flowers and products from the Outermost Regions.
Top
Repeal of fruit and vegetable marketing standards moves a step closer
23/07/2008
European Union Member States yesterday held a preliminary vote on Commission proposals to repeal specific marketing standards for 26 types of fruit and vegetables. While not binding, the vote gives a strong indication that these standards will be repealed when the formal vote is taken later in the year. The Member States did not reach a qualified majority either for or against the proposal. If, after allowing time for appropriate scrutiny by our trading partners, this vote were repeated later in the year, the rules would be repealed under the Commission's responsibility. The Commission's initiative to get rid of these standards followed a declaration made last year during the reform of the Common Market Organisation for fruit and vegetables. It is a major element in the Commission's ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify the rules and cut red tape. The proposal would also allow Member States to exempt fruit and vegetables from specific marketing standards if they are sold with a label "products intended for processing" or equivalent wording. Such products could be either misshapen or under-sized and could for example be used by consumers for cooking or salads etc. In this era of high prices and growing demand, it makes no sense to throw these products away or destroy them. "This is a concrete example of our drive to cut red tape and I will continue to push until it goes through," said Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. "It shouldn't be the EU's job to regulate these things. It is far better to leave it to market operators. It will also cut down on unnecessary waste and benefit consumers." The proposals would maintain specific marketing standards for 10 products which account for 75% of the value of EU trade: apples, citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, lettuces, peaches and nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes, tomatoes. Member States could exempt even these from the standards if they were sold in the shops with an appropriate label. They would abolish specific standards for 26 products: apricots, artichokes, asparagus, aubergines, avocadoes, beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflowers, cherries, courgettes, cucumbers, cultivated mushrooms, garlic, hazelnuts in shell, headed cabbage, leeks, melons, onions, peas, plums, ribbed celery, spinach, walnuts in shell, water melons, witloof/chicory, while setting new general minimum standards for the marketing of fruit and vegetables. For practical reasons, all of these changes would be implemented from 1 July 2009.
Top
23/07/2008 Also available in:
DE | EL | FR
In 2007 there was a record number of notifications sent to the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) - 7,354 altogether - indicating that this tool which ensures the safety of food for Europeans is functioning well. According to the "2007 RASFF annual report", last year 961 alerts and 2015 information notifications were received, giving rise to 4339 additional information notifications. This high number is mainly attributed to the increase of the additional information notifications up by 13.5% compared to 2006. Most notifications in 2007 concerned official controls on the internal market (43%), while 42% concerned products from non-EU countries which were blocked at the border by EU control authorities when the risks were identified. Just as in 2006, the product category for which the most alerts were sent was fish products (21%).
Top
Mitigating the effects of rising global food prices
18/07/2008 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The European Commission today proposed to establish a special "facility for rapid response to soaring food prices in developing countries". The fund would be worth EUR 1 billion and would operate for two years, 2008 and 2009. This money would be in addition to existing development funds and would be taken from unused money from the European Union's agricultural budget. It would be provided to developing countries which are most in need, based on a set of objective criteria. The facility would give priority to supply-side measures, improving access to farm inputs such as fertilisers and seed, possibly through credit, and to safety net measures aimed at improving productive capacity in agriculture. The support would be paid via international organisations, including regional organisations. The proposal falls under the co-decision procedure and the Commission hopes that Council and Parliament can reach agreement by November in order not to lose the unused 2008 money.
Top
17/07/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR | NL
The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation under the EU Merger Regulation into the planned merger between Campina and Friesland Foods, both of The Netherlands and both active in a range of dairy product markets such as milk, cheese and lactose. The Commissions initial market investigation has found that the proposed transaction raises serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market given that the two companies compete on the same dairy product markets. In addition, it is possible that the combination of the two companies' activities will lead to potential supply problems for competitors. The decision to open an in-depth inquiry does not prejudge the final result of the investigation. The Commission now has 90 working days (until 24 November 2008) to take a final decision on whether the concentration would significantly impede effective competition within the Single Market.
Top
16/08/2008 Also available in:
DE | EL | FR
The European Commission has launched the procedure aimed at reducing by 10 percent the payments to Greece for area-based agricultural and rural development aid measures because of continuing shortcomings in its national control system. The shortcomings concern principally the existing Greek Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), which is ineffective due to outdated and inaccurate data. An accurate LPIS is, however, essential to ensure the correct management and control of area-based payments. In order to remedy the shortcomings of their existing LPIS, the Greek authorities committed themselves in the context of an Action Plan established in spring 2006 to set up a new operational LPIS by the end of 2008. A recent audit by the Directorate-General for Agriculture shows that this key element of the Greek Action Plan is presently not on schedule.
Top
Bioenergy
16/07/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
The European Commission is inviting all stakeholders, including energy companies, project developers, equipment manufacturers, government services, agricultural and forest industry, environmental NGOs and all other interested stakeholders, including from outside the EU, to help identify the need to develop at EU level sustainability criteria for biomass for energy purposes.
Top
State aid
16/07/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR | IT
The European Commission today decided that the EUR 3.5 million in aid that Sardinia had wanted to grant Villasor sugar refinery is not compatible with the rules on State aid in agriculture. The aid had been intended as compensation to the refinery for its losses stemming from the 2001-02 drought on the island. The relevant State aid rules provide for compensation in case of drought only to primary producers and not to processing plants like the Villasor refinery.
Top
Commissioner Fischer Boel's website
Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
New blog entry: "CAP reforms have transformed the EU's role in the WTO" (08/08/2008)
Statement to the press after the failure of the Doha Round talks [pdf] (29/07/2008)
Speaking points to the press (Press conference ahead of WTO talks, Brussels, 17/07/2008)
Top
Publications
What's new on the Commission's "Agriculture and Rural Development" website?
"High prices on agricultural commodity markets: situation and prospects" [pdf]
"Agricultural commodity markets - Outlook 2008-2017" [pdf]
All new Organic Farming website
Top
Quality products catch the eye: PDO, PGI or TSG
Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
Applications for registration:
'Budapesti téliszal mi': PGI (OJ C 206 - 13/08/2008, p. 16)
'Wielkopolski ser sma|ony': PGI (OJ C 202 - 08/08/2008, p. 23)
'Gentse azalea': PGI (OJ C 198 - 05/08/2008, p. 13)
'Castagna di Vallerano': PDO (OJ C 190 - 29/07/2008, p. 7)
'Ovos Moles de Aveiro': PGI (OJ C 184 - 22/07/2008, p. 42)
Registrations:
'Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure' (PGI), 'Brussels grondwitloof' (PGI), 'Rufs de Loué' (PGI) (OJ L 207 - 05/08/2008, p. 7)
'Czwórniak' (TSG), 'Dwójniak' (TSG), 'PóBtorak' (TSG), 'Trójniak' (TSG) (OJ L 200 - 29/07/2008, p. 6)
'Afuega'l Pitu' (PDO), 'Mazap n de Toledo' (PGI), 'Agneau de Lozère' (PGI), 'Oignon doux des Cévennes' (PDO), 'Butelo de Vinhais' or 'Bucho de Vinhais' or 'Chouriço de Ossos de Vinhais' (PGI), 'Chouriça Doce de Vinhais' (PGI) (OJ L 198 - 26/07/2008, p. 28)
'Ail de la Drôme' (PGI), 'Vaestarsk cibule' (PDO), 'Slovensk bryndza' (PGI), 'Ajo Morado de Las Pedroñeras' (PGI), 'Gamoneu' or 'Gamonedo' (PDO), 'Alheira de Vinhais' (PGI), 'Presunto de Vinhais' or 'Presunto Bísaro de Vinhais' (PGI) (OJ L 189 - 17/07/2008, p. 19)
Arroz Carolino das Lezírias Ribatejanas (PGI) (OJ L 188 - 16/07/2008, p. 16)
Amendment of specifications:
Laguiole (PDO) (OJ L 209 - 06/08/2008, p. 3)
Radicchio Variegato di Castelfranco (PGI) (OJ L 209 - 06/08/2008, p. 5)
Radicchio Rosso di Treviso (PGI) (OJ L 209 - 06/08/2008, p. 7)
Carnalentejana: PDO (OJ L 200 - 29/07/2008, p. 8)
Top
Calls for tender
Calls for tender
Contract notices are available in all official EU languages.
Important notice: This selection is not exhaustive. For a complete list of current calls for tenders please log on to Tenders electronic daily.
"Evaluation of the implementation of the farm advisory system": Contract notice and tender documents [Deadline for submission: 27/10/2008]
"Evaluation of the implementation of the European Union Forest Action Plan": Contract notice and tender documents [Deadline for submission: 07/10/2008]
"Evaluation of measures carried out for the outermost regions (POSEI) and the smaller islands of the Aegean Sea within the context of the common agricultural policy": Contract notice and tender documents [Deadline for submission: 01/10/2008]
Top
This service is brought to you by European CommissionDirectorate-General for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentCommunication UnitB-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please log in here.
Send your comments and questions to the editor.
To receive a PLAIN TEXT version of the News Digest, please log in and change your subscription.
All previous issues of the Agriculture News Digest are available in the archive.
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than the Agriculture and Rural Development DG.
Legal notice: The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the European Commission and represent their personal views on the subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural Development.(C) European Communities, 2002-2008
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - AGRICULTURE NEWS DIGEST
No. 189, 13 August 2008
Contents:
(1) Export refunds for fresh and frozen pig meat suspended
(2) Annual crop yield forecast: European Commission foresees above average
cereals harvest for 2008
(3) Commission invites submission of posters for forthcoming conference
on School Fruit Scheme
(4) Agreement reached to liberalise trade in Agricultural and Fishery
Products between the EU and Israel
(5) Vacancy for Deputy Director at the International Olive Council
(6) Wine reform enters into force on 1 August 2008
(7) Organic Farming: European Commission launches new promotional campaign
for organic food and farming
(8) EUR 45.7 million EU support for the promotion of agricultural products
(9) Repeal of fruit and vegetable marketing standards moves a step closer
(10) Well-functioning RASFF processes more than 7,300 notifications in 2007
(11) Global Food Price Rise: Commission proposes special financing facility
worth EUR 1 billion to help developing country farmers
(12) Mergers: Commission opens in-depth investigation into dairy products
merger between Campina and Friesland
(13) Control of agricultural spending: Commission launches procedure to
reduce payments to Greece
(14) Commission launches consultation on requirements for a sustainability
scheme for biomass for energy purposes
(15) Commission thumbs-down for proposed aid to Villasor sugar refinery in
Sardinia
(16) Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
(17) What's new on the Commission's "Agriculture and Rural Development"
web site?
(18) Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
(19) Calls for tender
---------------------------------------------------------
(1) EXPORT REFUNDS FOR FRESH AND FROZEN PIG MEAT SUSPENDED
08/08/2008 - A proposal from the European Commission to set the export
refunds for fresh and frozen pig meat at zero has been discussed by the
Management Committee for the Common organisation of agricultural markets
yesterday. The export refunds (EUR 31.1/100 kg for carcasses and cuts and
EUR 19.4/100 kg for bellies) were re-introduced in November 2007, as a
temporary measure to respond to the difficult market situation due to the
combination of over-supply of EU production and high feed costs. Helped
by the increased refunds and the introduction of private storage aid, the
EU pig meat market started to recover since the beginning of this year:
Pig carcass prices are now on average about 30% higher than in November
2007, EU exports increased considerably and feed costs are decreasing.
Furthermore, EU pig meat production is forecast to decrease significantly
in the second half of 2008. Given all those elements, the Commission
decided to set the refunds for fresh and frozen carcasses, cuts and bellies
back at zero, starting from today. The Commission will continue to monitor
the market situation closely and, if appropriate, take further action.
(2) ANNUAL CROP YIELD FORECAST: EUROPEAN COMMISSION FORESEES ABOVE AVERAGE
CEREALS HARVEST FOR 2008
07/08/2008 - Favourable weather conditions and an increase in the planted
area farmed should lead to a total cereals harvest close to 301 M tonnes
for this year in the European Union, 43 M tonnes more than in 2007. This
represents an increase of 16% on the 2007 harvest and 9% on the past five
years' average production. This forecast, published today by the European
Commission, is based on an updated analysis by the Commission's in-house
scientific service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), using an advanced
crop yield forecasting system.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1251&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Detailed forecasts by crop and country at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/537&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(3) COMMISSION INVITES SUBMISSION OF POSTERS FOR FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE ON
SCHOOL FRUIT SCHEME
05/08/2008 - On 8 July 2008, the European Commission presented its
proposal for the introduction of an EU-wide School Fruit Scheme (SFS).
In order to kick-start the linked networking activities, the Commission
is now organising a major conference, bringing together experts from all
Member states. This event will take place in Brussels in December 2008.
As part of this conference there will be a poster exhibition of best
practice models to provide SFS project promoters and stakeholders with
examples for establishing or improving a School Fruit Scheme. Interested
parties are now invited to submit models as posters for this exhibition.
These posters must be designed to deliver 'operational' information in an
easily understandable way. The posters will be exhibited during the
conference and published on the Europa website.
Full details on how to submit best practice models at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/fruitveg/sfs/events/conference/index_en.htm
(4) AGREEMENT REACHED TO LIBERALISE TRADE IN AGRICULTURAL AND FISHERY
PRODUCTS BETWEEN THE EU AND ISRAEL
01/08/2008 - Negotiators have reached a preliminary agreement to further
liberalise trade in agricultural and processed agricultural products and
fish and fishery products between the European Union and the State of
Israel, following technical verification of the Common Understanding
reached on 30 April 2008 in Bet-Dagan (Israel) on bilateral tariff
concessions. This will form the basis of a future agreement, subject to
completion of both sides' internal procedures. The new trade concessions
represent a major step forward in the integration of the EU and Israeli
markets.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1233&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(5) VACANCY FOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR AT THE INTERNATIONAL OLIVE COUNCIL
01/08/2008 - As the intergovernmental organisation in charge of
administering the 2005 International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table
Olives, the International Olive Council (IOC) is a unique multilateral
organisation working for world olive farming. The European Community is
a member of the IOC, where it represents 27 Member States and makes a
substantial contribution to its operational budgets. A vacancy has now
arisen for the post of Deputy Director responsible for administration
and financial affairs, studies and evaluations, until November 2010,
subsequently to be appointed Executive Director until 2014. The post is
based in Madrid in the IOC Executive Secretariat, whose job it is to help
the Council of Members and its Committees carry through the duties they
are assigned under the International Agreement. EU citizens are invited
to find out more from the Vacancy Notice and application details published
today.
Vacancy Notice and application details at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/ioc/vacancy_en.htm
(6) WINE REFORM ENTERS INTO FORCE ON 1 AUGUST 2008
01/08/2008 - Today marks the entry into force of the wide-ranging reform
of the Common Market Organisation for wine on which agriculture ministers
reached agreement in December 2007. The changes will bring balance to the
wine market, phase out wasteful and expensive market intervention measures
and allow the budget to be used for more positive, proactive measures which
will boost the competitiveness of European wines. The reform provides for
a fast restructuring of the wine sector in that it includes a voluntary,
three-year grubbing-up scheme to provide an alternative for uncompetitive
producers and to remove surplus and uncompetitive wine from the market.
Subsidies for crisis distillation and potable alcohol distillation will
be phased out and the money, allocated in national envelopes, can be used
for measures like wine promotion on third country markets, innovation,
restructuring and modernisation of vineyards and cellars. The reform will
ensure environmental protection in wine-growing regions, safeguard
traditional and well-established quality policies and simplify labelling
rules, for the benefit of producers and consumers alike. The very
restrictive planting rights system will also be abolished at EU level
from 1 January 2016 onwards. Most of the measures in the reform package
come into force on 1 August 2008. Those relating to labelling, wine-making
practices and Geographical Indications enter into force on 1 August 2009.
(7) ORGANIC FARMING: EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES NEW PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN
FOR ORGANIC FOOD AND FARMING
25/07/2008 - The European Commission will launch the European Union's new
Organic Farming Campaign today at the Foire de Libramont agricultural fair
in Belgium. Under the campaign slogan: "Organic farming. Good for nature,
good for you", the promotional campaign aims to inform consumers about
the meaning and benefits of organic farming and food production. The
campaign will focus on increasing consumer awareness and recognition of
organic products, and especially on young people and children to carry
the organic idea into the future.
New 'Organic Farming' website at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/home_en
(8) EUR 45.7 MILLION EU SUPPORT FOR THE PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
24/07/2008 - The European Commission has approved 31 programmes in 16
Member States (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia,
Sweden and the United Kingdom) 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 EUR 92.4 million, of
which the EU will contribute half. The selected programmes cover organic
products, agricultural quality products (PDO, PGI, TSG), dairy products,
meat, wine, fruit and vegetables, oil, plants and flowers and products
from the Outermost Regions.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1206&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(9) REPEAL OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MARKETING STANDARDS MOVES A STEP CLOSER
23/07/2008 - European Union Member States yesterday held a preliminary
vote on Commission proposals to repeal specific marketing standards for
26 types of fruit and vegetables. While not binding, the vote gives a
strong indication that these standards will be repealed when the formal
vote is taken later in the year. The Member States did not reach a
qualified majority either for or against the proposal. If, after allowing
time for appropriate scrutiny by our trading partners, this vote were
repeated later in the year, the rules would be repealed under the
Commission's responsibility. The Commission's initiative to get rid of
these standards followed a declaration made last year during the reform
of the Common Market Organisation for fruit and vegetables. It is a major
element in the Commission's ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify
the rules and cut red tape. The proposal would also allow Member States
to exempt fruit and vegetables from specific marketing standards if they
are sold with a label "products intended for processing" or equivalent
wording. Such products could be either misshapen or under-sized and could
for example be used by consumers for cooking or salads etc. In this era
of high prices and growing demand, it makes no sense to throw these
products away or destroy them. "This is a concrete example of our drive
to cut red tape and I will continue to push until it goes through," said
Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.
"It shouldn't be the EU's job to regulate these things. It is far better
to leave it to market operators. It will also cut down on unnecessary
waste and benefit consumers." The proposals would maintain specific
marketing standards for 10 products which account for 75% of the value
of EU trade: apples, citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, lettuces, peaches and
nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes, tomatoes.
Member States could exempt even these from the standards if they were
sold in the shops with an appropriate label. They would abolish specific
standards for 26 products: apricots, artichokes, asparagus, aubergines,
avocadoes, beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflowers, cherries,
courgettes, cucumbers, cultivated mushrooms, garlic, hazelnuts in shell,
headed cabbage, leeks, melons, onions, peas, plums, ribbed celery,
spinach, walnuts in shell, water melons, witloof/chicory, while setting
new general minimum standards for the marketing of fruit and vegetables.
For practical reasons, all of these changes would be implemented from
1 July 2009.
(10) WELL-FUNCTIONING RASFF PROCESSES MORE THAN 7,300 NOTIFICATIONS IN 2007
23/07/2008 - In 2007 there was a record number of notifications sent to
the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) - 7,354 altogether -
indicating that this tool which ensures the safety of food for Europeans
is functioning well. According to the "2007 RASFF annual report", last
year 961 alerts and 2015 information notifications were received, giving
rise to 4339 additional information notifications. This high number is
mainly attributed to the increase of the additional information
notifications - up by 13.5% compared to 2006. Most notifications in 2007
concerned official controls on the internal market (43%), while 42%
concerned products from non-EU countries which were blocked at the border
by EU control authorities when the risks were identified. Just as in 2006,
the product category for which the most alerts were sent was fish products
(21%).
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1194&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(11) GLOBAL FOOD PRICE RISE: COMMISSION PROPOSES SPECIAL FINANCING
FACILITY WORTH EUR 1 BILLION TO HELP DEVELOPING COUNTRY FARMERS
18/07/2008 - The European Commission today proposed to establish a special
"facility for rapid response to soaring food prices in developing
countries". The fund would be worth EUR 1 billion and would operate for
two years, 2008 and 2009. This money would be in addition to existing
development funds and would be taken from unused money from the European
Union's agricultural budget. It would be provided to developing countries
which are most in need, based on a set of objective criteria. The facility
would give priority to supply-side measures, improving access to farm
inputs such as fertilisers and seed, possibly through credit, and to
safety net measures aimed at improving productive capacity in agriculture.
The support would be paid via international organisations, including
regional organisations. The proposal falls under the co-decision procedure
and the Commission hopes that Council and Parliament can reach agreement
by November in order not to lose the unused 2008 money.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1186&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(12) MERGERS: COMMISSION OPENS IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION INTO DAIRY PRODUCTS
MERGER BETWEEN CAMPINA AND FRIESLAND
17/07/2008 - The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation
under the EU Merger Regulation into the planned merger between Campina
and Friesland Foods, both of The Netherlands and both active in a range of
dairy product markets such as milk, cheese and lactose. The Commission's
initial market investigation has found that the proposed transaction raises
serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market given that
the two companies? compete on the same dairy product markets. In addition,
it is possible that the combination of the two companies' activities will
lead to potential supply problems for competitors. The decision to open an
in-depth inquiry does not prejudge the final result of the investigation.
The Commission now has 90 working days (until 24 November 2008) to take a
final decision on whether the concentration would significantly impede
effective competition within the Single Market.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1182&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(13) CONTROL OF AGRICULTURAL SPENDING: COMMISSION LAUNCHES PROCEDURE TO
REDUCE PAYMENTS TO GREECE
16/08/2008 - The European Commission has launched the procedure aimed at
reducing by 10% the payments to Greece for area-based agricultural and
rural development aid measures because of continuing shortcomings in its
national control system. The shortcomings concern principally the existing
Greek Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), which is ineffective due
to outdated and inaccurate data. An accurate LPIS is, however, essential
to ensure the correct management and control of area-based payments. In
order to remedy the shortcomings of their existing LPIS, the Greek
authorities committed themselves in the context of an Action Plan
established in spring 2006 to set up a new operational LPIS by the end
of 2008. A recent audit by the Directorate-General for Agriculture shows
that this key element of the Greek Action Plan is presently not on
schedule.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1167&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(14) COMMISSION LAUNCHES CONSULTATION ON REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUSTAINABILITY
SCHEME FOR BIOMASS FOR ENERGY PURPOSES
16/07/2008 - The European Commission is inviting all stakeholders,
including energy companies, project developers, equipment manufacturers,
government services, agricultural and forest industry, environmental NGOs
and all other interested stakeholders, including from outside the EU, to
help identify the need to develop at EU level sustainability criteria for
biomass for energy purposes.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1160&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(15) COMMISSION THUMBS-DOWN FOR PROPOSED AID TO VILLASOR SUGAR REFINERY
IN SARDINIA
16/07/2008 - The European Commission today decided that the EUR 3.5 million
in aid that Sardinia had wanted to grant Villasor sugar refinery is not
compatible with the rules on State aid in agriculture. The aid had been
intended as compensation to the refinery for its losses stemming from the
2001-02 drought on the island. The relevant State aid rules provide for
compensation in case of drought only to primary producers and not to
processing plants like the Villasor refinery.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1168&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(16) COMMISSIONER FISCHER BOEL: SPEECHES AND BLOG ENTRIES
New blog entry: "CAP reforms have transformed the EU's role in the WTO"
(08/08/2008)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/cap-reforms-have-transformed-the-eus-role-in-the-wto/
Statement to the press after the failure of the Doha Round talks
(29/07/2008)
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/fischer-boel/doha/geneva290708_en.pdf
Speaking points to the press (Press conference ahead of WTO talks,
Brussels, 17/07/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/397&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(17) WHAT'S NEW ON THE COMMISSION'S "AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT"
WEB SITE?
"High prices on agricultural commodity markets: situation and prospects"
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/tradepol/worldmarkets/high_prices_en.pdf
"Agricultural commodity markets - Outlook 2008-2017"
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/tradepol/worldmarkets/outlook/2008_2017_en.pdf
All new Organic Farming website
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/splash_en
(18) REGISTRATION AS PDO, PGI OR TSG
Applications for registration:
'Budapesti téliszal mi': PGI (OJ C 206, 13/08/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:206:0016:0019:EN:PDF
'Wielkopolski ser sma?ony': PGI (OJ C 202, 08/08/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:202:0023:0027:EN:PDF
'Gentse azalea': PGI (OJ C 198, 05/08/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:198:0013:0015:EN:PDF
'Castagna di Vallerano': PDO (OJ C 190, 29/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:190:0007:0010:EN:PDF
'Ovos Moles de Aveiro': PGI (OJ C 184, 22/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:184:0042:0045:EN:PDF
Registrations:
'Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure' (PGI), 'Brussels grondwitloof' (PGI),
'?ufs de Loué' (PGI) (OJ L 207, 05/08/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:207:0007:0008:EN:PDF
'Czwórniak' (TSG), 'Dwójniak' (TSG), 'Pó?torak' (TSG), 'Trójniak' (TSG)
(OJ L 200, 29/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:200:0006:0007:EN:PDF
'Afuega'l Pitu' (PDO), 'Mazap n de Toledo' (PGI), 'Agneau de Lozère' (PGI),
'Oignon doux des Cévennes' (PDO), 'Butelo de Vinhais' or 'Bucho de Vinhais'
or 'Chouriço de Ossos de Vinhais' (PGI), 'Chouriça Doce de Vinhais' (PGI)
(OJ L 198, 26/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:198:0028:0029:EN:PDF
'Ail de la Drôme' (PGI), 'V?estarsk cibule' (PDO), 'Slovensk bryndza'
(PGI), 'Ajo Morado de Las Pedroñeras' (PGI), 'Gamoneu' or 'Gamonedo' (PDO),
'Alheira de Vinhais' (PGI), 'Presunto de Vinhais' or 'Presunto Bísaro de
Vinhais' (PGI) (OJ L 189, 17/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:189:0019:0020:EN:PDF
Arroz Carolino das Lezírias Ribatejanas (PGI) (OJ L 188, 16/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:188:0016:0017:EN:PDF
Amendment of specifications:
Laguiole (PDO) (OJ L 209, 06/08/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:209:0003:0004:EN:PDF
Radicchio Variegato di Castelfranco (PGI) (OJ L 209, 06/08/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:209:0005:0006:EN:PDF
Radicchio Rosso di Treviso (PGI) (OJ L 209, 06/08/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:209:0007:0008:EN:PDF
Carnalentejana: PDO (OJ L 200, 29/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:200:0008:0009:EN:PDF
(19) CALLS FOR TENDER
"Evaluation of the implementation of the farm advisory system"
[Deadline for submission: 27/10/2008]
Contract notice and tender documents at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/tenderdocs/2008/201459/index_en.htm
"Evaluation of the implementation of the European Union Forest Action Plan"
[Deadline for submission: 07/10/2008]
Contract notice and tender documents at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/tenderdocs/2008/185305/index_en.htm
"Evaluation of measures carried out for the outermost regions (POSEI) and
the smaller islands of the Aegean Sea within the context of the common
agricultural policy"
[Deadline for submission: 01/10/2008]
Contract notice and tender documents at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/tenderdocs/2008/180434/index_en.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------
This service is brought to you by:
European Commission
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Communication Unit
B-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please visit
http://ec.europa.eu/coreservices/mailing/index.cfm?serviceid=1551
Please send your comments and questions to agri-newsdigest@ec.europa.eu
Html versions of this edition and all previous issues of the
Agriculture News Digest are available at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/newsdigest/archive_en.htm
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under
the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than
DG Agriculture and Rural Development.
Legal notice:
The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the
European Commission and represent their personal views on the
subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any
way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied
upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural
Development. Our goal is to keep the information in this digest
timely and accurate. However the Commission accepts no responsibility
or liability whatsoever with regard to this information.
(c) European Communities, 2002-2008
No. 188 - 15 July 2008Agriculture on Europa Top
European School Milk scheme
11/07/2008Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
In response to the requests and suggestions of Member States and the European Parliament, the European Commission has adopted a new version of the EU School Milk Scheme with simple and clear implementation rules that provides a larger range of healthy dairy products to more children.
Details
Top
Antitrust: Commission carries out unannounced inspections of traders and distributors of cereals and other agricultural products
10/07/2008
The European Commission can confirm that on 10 July 2008 Commission officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of traders and distributors of cereals and other agricultural products for human consumption and animal feed in two Member States. The Commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated EC Treaty rules on cartels and restrictive business practices (Article 81). The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the relevant national competition authorities.
Surprise inspections are a preliminary step in investigations into suspected cartels. The fact that the European Commission carries out such inspections does not mean that the companies are guilty of anti-competitive behaviour; nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself. The European Commission respects the rights of defence, in particular the right of companies to be heard in antitrust proceedings.
There is no strict deadline to complete cartel inquiries. Their duration depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of each case, the extent to which the undertakings concerned co-operate and the exercise of the rights of defence.
Top
09/07/2008Also available in:
DE | EL | ES | FR | IT | NL | PL | SV
A total of EUR 410.3 million of EU farm money unduly spent by Member States is claimed back as a result of a decision adopted by the European Commission. The money returns to the Community budget because of inadequate control procedures or non-compliance with EU rules on agricultural expenditure. Member States are responsible for paying out and checking expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Commission is required to ensure that Member States have made correct use of the funds.
Under this latest decision, the 28th since the 1995 reform of the system for recovering unduly spent CAP money, funds will be recovered from Germany, Spain, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden.
Top
School Fruit Scheme
08/07/2008 Also available in:
BG | CS | DA | DE | ET | EL | ES | FR | IT | LV | LT | HU | MT | NL | PL | PT | RO | SK | SL | FI | SV
The European Commission today proposed to establish a European Union-wide scheme to provide free fruit and vegetables to school children. European funds worth EUR 90 million every year would pay for the purchase and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to schools, and this money would be matched by national funds in those Member States which chose to make use of the programme. This is the latest stage in the Commission's efforts to improve health and nutrition, as set out in the 'Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity and related health issues'. The School Fruit Scheme aims to encourage good eating habits in young people, which studies show tend to be carried on into later life. Besides providing free fruit and vegetables, the scheme would require participating Member States to set up national strategies including educational and awareness-raising initiatives and the sharing of best practice. An estimated 22 million children in the EU are overweight. More than 5 million these are obese and this figure is expected to rise by 400,000 every year. Improved nutrition can play an important part in combating this problem. The proposal will now be sent to the Council and European Parliament.
Details
Top
04/07/2008 Also available in:
DE | EL | ES | FR | IT
A preliminary agreement has been reached by negotiators to further liberalise trade in agricultural, processed agricultural and fish and fishery products between the European Union and the Arab Republic of Egypt. This will form the basis of a future agreement, subject to completion of both sides' internal procedures. The agreement will give the EU free and immediate access to the Egyptian market for around 90 percent of agriculture and fisheries exports. There will be full liberalisation for all products except tobacco, wines and spirits and pig meat, for which current arrangements will remain in place. For confectionery, chocolate, pasta and bakery products, duties will be halved. In return, the EU market will be liberalised for all products except tomatoes, cucumbers, artichokes, courgettes, table grapes, garlic, strawberries, rice, sugar, processed products with high sugar content and processed tuna and sardines, where current arrangements will also continue to apply.
Top
01/07/2008 Also available in:
DA | DE | EL | ES | FR | IT | MT | NL | SL | FI | SV
At a meeting of the Special Committee for Agriculture on Monday, the outgoing Presidency of the EU Council concluded that the vast majority of Member States will agree to abolish set-aside as proposed by the Commission in its CAP Health Check proposals. The change comes in response to the increasingly tight situation on the cereals market. Under these circumstances, farmers can already benefit from the measure as from their autumn 2008 and spring 2009 sowings. The end of the set-aside scheme will allow farmers to adjust their planting decisions and respond in advance to new market circumstances.
Top
Import of fresh meat from South America
01/07/2008
The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health today supported a Commission proposal to allow imports of fresh meat from the additional areas in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, which are in a position to comply with EC import requirements. Recently, the competent authorities of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay have made considerable efforts to improve the animal health situation in their respective countries, and in particular as regards foot and mouth disease (FMD). Their efforts were recognised internationally by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and confirmed by recent Commission inspections. In Argentina, a new region termed "Patagonia North B" and corresponding to parts of the provinces of Neuquén and Rio Negro has been allowed to export to the EU bone-in fresh meat from ovine, caprine, bovine and game animals following its recognition of free of FMD) without vaccination by the OIE, and favourable Commission inspections. Other regions of Argentina continue to be authorised for export to the EU of de-boned fresh meat from bovine animals and other farmed ruminants. In Brazil, the States of Paran and Sâo Paulo have been authorised for export to the EU of de-boned and matured beef, following their recognition as free of FMD with vaccination by the OIE. In 2005, those States were excluded from the list of the Brazilian territories allowed to export beef to the EU following outbreaks of FMD. The special import requirements for Brazilian beef established with Decision 2008/61/EC limiting exports to meat obtained from animals from holdings approved by the Brazilian authorities will also apply to Paran and Sâo Paulo. Paraguay has been authorised for export to the EU of de-boned and matured bovine meat, following its recognition as free of FMD with vaccination by the OIE and favourable Commission inspections.
Top
26/06/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR | IT
The Commission has decided to refer Italy to the Court of Justice for failing to amend its legislation on the labelling of chocolate products. The Commission considers that the indication "pure chocolate" in no way guarantees accurate, neutral and objective information for the consumer, and it is insisting on compliance with the Directive in force on the labelling of these products. Referral to the Court of Justice constitutes the third stage of the infringement proceedings provided for by Article 226 of the EC Treaty.
Top
Commission refers Italy to the ECJ for not complying with labelling legislation and marketing standards for poultry meat
26/06/2008
The European Commission referred Italy to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) yesterday for failure to comply with EU legislation on the labelling of foodstuffs and on marketing standards for poultry meat. The Court referral follows the letter of formal notice sent in October 2006 and a reasoned opinion sent in July 2007. The referral to the ECJ is the next step in the infringement procedure. Under an Order adopted in August 2005, last amended in December 2007, Italian producers and the first recipients of poultry meat are obliged to indicate the Member State of origin of the meat for poultry meat coming from other Member States and third countries. This measure contravenes EU rules on food labelling and the marketing of poultry. It could cause market discrimination and hamper the Internal Market and trade. The Italian authorities claimed that these labelling measures were taken to prevent consumers from being misled on the origin of the poultry meat and that they aimed to increase the traceability of poultry products so that, in the event of an avian flu outbreak, poultry meat could be rapidly traced and withdrawn from the market. However, the Commission finds no justification for the Italian rules. There are harmonised rules on food labelling ensuring that consumers are properly informed and not misled while strict EU veterinary legislation ensures that any poultry meat placed on the EU market is safe. According to the Regulation on the marketing of poultry meat, Member States can only require the labelling of origin in the case of poultry meat imported from third countries.
Top
Rural Development policy 2007-2013
26/06/2008 Also available in:
DE | ES | FR
Yesterday the Rural Development Committee (consisting of representatives of the 27 Member States) gave a positive opinion to the Rural Development programme of the Spanish national rural network for the financial period 2007-2013. Specific Rural Development programmes for each of the Spanish regions have already been approved. These programmes are defined to guarantee infrastructure, create new income opportunities for rural regions, promote growth and fight unemployment. The Commission still has to formally adopt the programme in the next weeks.
Details
Top
23/06/2008 Also available in:
BG | DE | EL | ES | FR | PT
Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, welcomed today's adoption by the Council of the reformed EU cotton support scheme. The reform maintains 65 % of aid "decoupled" (i.e. no longer linked to production) and 35 % linked to cotton production in the form of area payments. National restructuring programmes are created to facilitate restructuring in the cotton ginning industry and to enhance quality and marketing of the cotton produced. The new scheme will replace the current support arrangement, which was annulled by the European Court of Justice on 7 September 2006.
Top
20/06/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one of the key European Union policies and one of the building blocks on which the EU was built. Much has been said and written about the CAP over the years, some of it true and some of it false. The CAP has been accused of many things and been made the scapegoat for many ills.
The following text responds to some of the popular misconceptions about the CAP.
Top
Commissioner Fischer Boel's website
Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
Blog entry: "Water management: far from a dry debate" (15/07/2008)
"Climate change and water challenges for farmers"
(Expo Zaragoza 2008 on Water and Sustainable Development, Zaragoza, Spain, 11/07/2008)
Blog entry: "Fruit and Veg for better health!" (09/07/2008)
"Who will feed the World? The answers from the EU"
(Conference: "Who will feed the World?", Brussels, 03/07/2008)
"The CAP Health Check explained"
(PES Seminar on the Health Check and Legislative Package, EP, Brussels, 02/072008)
"Beef production in Europe: getting the policy framework right"
(25th anniversary of Assocarni - Associazione Nazionale Industria e Commercio Carni e Bestiame, Rome, 27/06/2008)
"We want more agriculture for our future"
(Conference organised by CIA - Confederazione Italiana Agricultori, Lecce, Italy, 19/06/2008)
Top
Quality products catch the eye: PDO, PGI or TSG
Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
Applications for registration:
'Melva de Andalucía': PGI (OJ C 177 - 12/07/2008, p. 18)
'Caballa de Andalucía': PGI (OJ C 177 - 12/07/2008, p. 21)
Registrations:
'Chamomilla Bohemica' (PDO), 'Vlaams-Brabantse tafeldruif' (PDO), 'Slovensk parenica' (PGI), 'Cipollotto Nocerino' (PDO) (OJ L 183 - 11/07/2008, p. 15)
Top
Calls for tender
Calls for tender
Contract notices are available in all official EU languages.
Important notice: This selection is not exhaustive. For a complete list of current calls for tenders please log on to Tenders electronic daily.
"Evaluation of measures carried out for the outermost regions (POSEI) and the smaller islands of the Aegean Sea within the context of the common agricultural policy": Contract notice and tender documents [Deadline for submission: 01/10/2008]
Top
This service is brought to you by European CommissionDirectorate-General for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentCommunication UnitB-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please log in here.
Send your comments and questions to the editor.
To receive a PLAIN TEXT version of the News Digest, please log in and change your subscription.
All previous issues of the Agriculture News Digest are available in the archive.
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than the Agriculture and Rural Development DG.
Legal notice: The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the European Commission and represent their personal views on the subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural Development.(C) European Communities, 2002-2008
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - AGRICULTURE NEWS DIGEST
No. 188, 15 July 2008
Contents:
(1) School Milk: New scheme boosts consumption and healthier consumer
habits
(2) Antitrust: Commission carries out unannounced inspections of traders
and distributors of cereals and other agricultural products
(3) Commission to recover EUR 410.3 million of CAP expenditure from the
Member States
(4) Commission proposes School Fruit Scheme worth EUR 90 million per year
(5) Agreement reached to liberalise trade in Agricultural and Fishery
Products between the EU and Egypt
(6) Member States agree in principle to abolish obligatory set-aside
(7) Import of fresh meat from South America
(8) "Cioccolato puro": Commission referral to Court of Justice
(9) Commission refers Italy to the ECJ for not complying with labelling
legislation and marketing standards for poultry meat
(10) Rural Development programme of the Spanish national rural network for
2007-2013 agreed
(11) CAP Reform: Commission welcomes adoption of reformed cotton support
scheme
(12) The Common Agricultural Policy: sorting the facts from the fiction
(13) Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
(14) Registration as PDO, PGI or TSG
(15) Calls for tender
---------------------------------------------------------
(1) SCHOOL MILK: NEW SCHEME BOOSTS CONSUMPTION AND HEALTHIER CONSUMER
HABITS
11/07/2008 - In response to the requests and suggestions of Member States
and the European Parliament, the European Commission has adopted a new
version of the EU School Milk Scheme with simple and clear implementation
rules that provides a larger range of healthy dairy products to more
children.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1131&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Details at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/milk/schoolmilk/index_en.htm
(2) ANTITRUST: COMMISSION CARRIES OUT UNANNOUNCED INSPECTIONS OF TRADERS
AND DISTRIBUTORS OF CEREALS AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
11/07/2008 - The European Commission can confirm that on 10 July 2008
Commission officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises
of traders and distributors of cereals and other agricultural products for
human consumption and animal feed in two Member States. The Commission has
reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated EC Treaty
rules on cartels and restrictive business practices (Article 81). The
Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the
relevant national competition authorities.
Surprise inspections are a preliminary step in investigations into
suspected cartels. The fact that the European Commission carries out such
inspections does not mean that the companies are guilty of anti-competitive
behaviour; nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself.
The European Commission respects the rights of defence, in particular the
right of companies to be heard in antitrust proceedings.
There is no strict deadline to complete cartel inquiries. Their duration
depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of each case,
the extent to which the undertakings concerned co-operate and the exercise
of the rights of defence.
(3) COMMISSION TO RECOVER EUR 410.3 MILLION OF CAP EXPENDITURE FROM THE
MEMBER STATES
09/07/2008 - A total of EUR 410.3 million of EU farm money unduly spent by
Member States is claimed back as a result of a decision adopted by the
European Commission. The money returns to the Community budget because of
inadequate control procedures or non-compliance with EU rules on
agricultural expenditure. Member States are responsible for paying out
and checking expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and
the Commission is required to ensure that Member States have made correct
use of the funds.
Under this latest decision, the 28th since the 1995 reform of the system
for recovering unduly spent CAP money, funds will be recovered from
Germany, Spain, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands,
Poland and Sweden.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1123&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(4) COMMISSION PROPOSES SCHOOL FRUIT SCHEME WORTH EUR 90 MILLION PER YEAR
08/07/2008 - The European Commission today proposed to establish a
European Union-wide scheme to provide free fruit and vegetables to school
children. European funds worth EUR 90 million every year would pay for the
purchase and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to schools, and
this money would be matched by national funds in those Member States which
chose to make use of the programme. This is the latest stage in the
Commission's efforts to improve health and nutrition, as set out in the
'Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity and related
health issues'. The School Fruit Scheme aims to encourage good eating
habits in young people, which studies show tend to be carried on into
later life. Besides providing free fruit and vegetables, the scheme would
require participating Member States to set up national strategies including
educational and awareness-raising initiatives and the sharing of best
practice. An estimated 22 million children in the EU are overweight. More
than 5 million these are obese and this figure is expected to rise by
400,000 every year. Improved nutrition can play an important part in
combating this problem. The proposal will now be sent to the Council and
European Parliament.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1116&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Details at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/fruitveg/sfs/index_en.htm
(5) AGREEMENT REACHED TO LIBERALISE TRADE IN AGRICULTURAL AND FISHERY
PRODUCTS BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
04/07/2008 - A preliminary agreement has been reached by negotiators to
further liberalise trade in agricultural, processed agricultural and fish
and fishery products between the European Union and the Arab Republic of
Egypt. This will form the basis of a future agreement, subject to
completion of both sides' internal procedures. The agreement will give the
EU free and immediate access to the Egyptian market for around 90 percent
of agriculture and fisheries exports. There will be full liberalisation
for all products except tobacco, wines and spirits and pig meat, for which
current arrangements will remain in place. For confectionery, chocolate,
pasta and bakery products, duties will be halved. In return, the EU market
will be liberalised for all products except tomatoes, cucumbers,
artichokes, courgettes, table grapes, garlic, strawberries, rice, sugar,
processed products with high sugar content and processed tuna and sardines,
where current arrangements will also continue to apply.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1104&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(6) MEMBER STATES AGREE IN PRINCIPLE TO ABOLISH OBLIGATORY SET-ASIDE
01/07/2008 - At a meeting of the Special Committee for Agriculture on
Monday, the outgoing Presidency of the EU Council concluded that the vast
majority of Member States will agree to abolish set-aside as proposed by
the Commission in its CAP Health Check proposals. The change comes in
response to the increasingly tight situation on the cereals market. Under
these circumstances, farmers can already benefit from the measure as
from their autumn 2008 and spring 2009 sowings. The end of the set-aside
scheme will allow farmers to adjust their planting decisions and respond
in advance to new market circumstances.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1069&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(7) IMPORT OF FRESH MEAT FROM SOUTH AMERICA
01/07/2008 - The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health
today supported a Commission proposal to allow imports of fresh meat from
the additional areas in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, which are in a
position to comply with EC import requirements. Recently, the competent
authorities of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay have made considerable
efforts to improve the animal health situation in their respective
countries, and in particular as regards foot and mouth disease (FMD).
Their efforts were recognised internationally by the World Organisation
for Animal Health (OIE) and confirmed by recent Commission inspections.
In Argentina, a new region termed "Patagonia North B" and corresponding
to parts of the provinces of Neuquén and Rio Negro has been allowed to
export to the EU bone-in fresh meat from ovine, caprine, bovine and game
animals following its recognition of free of FMD) without vaccination by
the OIE, and favourable Commission inspections. Other regions of Argentina
continue to be authorised for export to the EU of de-boned fresh meat
from bovine animals and other farmed ruminants. In Brazil, the States of
Paran and Sâo Paulo have been authorised for export to the EU of de-boned
and matured beef, following their recognition as free of FMD with
vaccination by the OIE. In 2005, those States were excluded from the list
of the Brazilian territories allowed to export beef to the EU following
outbreaks of FMD. The special import requirements for Brazilian beef
established with Decision 2008/61/EC limiting exports to meat obtained
from animals from holdings approved by the Brazilian authorities will
also apply to Paran and Sâo Paulo. Paraguay has been authorised for
export to the EU of de-boned and matured bovine meat, following its
recognition as free of FMD with vaccination by the OIE and favourable
Commission inspections.
(8) "CIOCCOLATO PURO": COMMISSION REFERRAL TO COURT OF JUSTICE
26/06/2008 - The Commission has decided to refer Italy to the Court of
Justice for failing to amend its legislation on the labelling of chocolate
products. The Commission considers that the indication "pure chocolate"
in no way guarantees accurate, neutral and objective information for the
consumer, and it is insisting on compliance with the Directive in force
on the labelling of these products. Referral to the Court of Justice
constitutes the third stage of the infringement proceedings provided for
by Article 226 of the EC Treaty.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1041&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(9) COMMISSION REFERS ITALY TO THE ECJ FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH LABELLING
LEGISLATION AND MARKETING STANDARDS FOR POULTRY MEAT
26/06/2008 - The European Commission referred Italy to the European Court
of Justice (ECJ) yesterday for failure to comply with EU legislation on
the labelling of foodstuffs and on marketing standards for poultry meat.
The Court referral follows the letter of formal notice sent in October
2006 and a reasoned opinion sent in July 2007. The referral to the ECJ is
the next step in the infringement procedure. Under an Order adopted in
August 2005, last amended in December 2007, Italian producers and the
first recipients of poultry meat are obliged to indicate the Member State
of origin of the meat for poultry meat coming from other Member States and
third countries. This measure contravenes EU rules on food labelling and
the marketing of poultry. It could cause market discrimination and hamper
the Internal Market and trade. The Italian authorities claimed that these
labelling measures were taken to prevent consumers from being misled on
the origin of the poultry meat and that they aimed to increase the
traceability of poultry products so that, in the event of an avian flu
outbreak, poultry meat could be rapidly traced and withdrawn from the
market. However, the Commission finds no justification for the Italian
rules. There are harmonised rules on food labelling ensuring that
consumers are properly informed and not misled while strict EU veterinary
legislation ensures that any poultry meat placed on the EU market is safe.
According to the Regulation on the marketing of poultry meat, Member
States can only require the labelling of origin in the case of poultry
meat imported from third countries.
(10) RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME OF THE SPANISH NATIONAL RURAL NETWORK
FOR 2007-2013 AGREED
26/06/2008 - Yesterday the Rural Development Committee (consisting of
representatives of the 27 Member States) gave a positive opinion to the
Rural Development programme of the Spanish national rural network for the
financial period 2007-2013. Specific Rural Development programmes for each
of the Spanish regions have already been approved. These programmes are
defined to guarantee infrastructure, create new income opportunities for
rural regions, promote growth and fight unemployment. The Commission still
has to formally adopt the programme in the next weeks.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1010&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Details at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/437&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(11) CAP REFORM: COMMISSION WELCOMES ADOPTION OF REFORMED COTTON SUPPORT
SCHEME
23/06/2008 - Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural
Development, welcomed today's adoption by the Council of the reformed EU
cotton support scheme. The reform maintains 65 % of aid "decoupled"
(i.e. no longer linked to production) and 35 % linked to cotton production
in the form of area payments. National restructuring programmes are
created to facilitate restructuring in the cotton ginning industry and to
enhance quality and marketing of the cotton produced. The new scheme will
replace the current support arrangement, which was annulled by the
European Court of Justice on 7 September 2006.
Press release at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/993&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(12) THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY: SORTING THE FACTS FROM THE FICTION
20/06/2008 - The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one of the key
European Union policies and one of the building blocks on which the EU
was built. Much has been said and written about the CAP over the years,
some of it true and some of it false. The CAP has been accused of many
things and been made the scapegoat for many ills.
The following text responds to some of the popular misconceptions about
the CAP:
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/422&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(13) COMMISSIONER FISCHER BOEL: SPEECHES AND BLOG ENTRIES
Blog entry: "Water management: far from a dry debate" (15/07/2008)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/water-management-far-from-a-dry-debate/
"Climate change and water challenges for farmers"
(Expo Zaragoza 2008 on Water and Sustainable Development, Zaragoza, Spain,
11/07/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/388&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Blog entry: "Fruit and veg for better health!" (09/07/2008)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/fruit-and-veg-for-better-health/
"Who will feed the World? The answers from the EU"
(Conference: "Who will feed the World?", Brussels, 03/07/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/371&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"The CAP Health Check explained"
(PES Seminar on the Health Check and Legislative Package, EP, Brussels,
02/072008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/369&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"Beef production in Europe: getting the policy framework right"
(25th anniversary of Assocarni, Associazione Nazionale Industria e
Commercio Carni e Bestiame, Rome, 27/06/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/362&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
"We want more agriculture for our future"
(Conference organised by CIA, Confederazione Italiana Agricultori, Lecce,
Italy, 19/06/2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/358&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
(14) REGISTRATION AS PDO, PGI OR TSG
Applications for registration:
'Melva de Andalucía': PGI (OJ C 177, 12/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:177:0018:0020:EN:PDF
'Caballa de Andalucía': PGI (OJ C 177, 12/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:177:0021:0023:EN:PDF
Registrations:
'Chamomilla Bohemica' (PDO), 'Vlaams-Brabantse tafeldruif' (PDO),
'Slovensk parenica' (PGI), 'Cipollotto Nocerino' (PDO) (OJ L 183,
11/07/2008)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:183:0015:0016:EN:PDF
(15) CALLS FOR TENDER
"Evaluation of measures carried out for the outermost regions (POSEI) and
the smaller islands of the Aegean Sea within the context of the common
agricultural policy)" [Deadline for submission: 01/10/2008]
Contract notice and tender documents at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/tenderdocs/2008/180434/index_en.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------
This service is brought to you by:
European Commission
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Communication Unit
B-1049 Brussels
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, please visit
http://ec.europa.eu/coreservices/mailing/index.cfm?serviceid=1551
Please send your comments and questions to agri-newsdigest@ec.europa.eu
Html versions of this edition and all previous issues of the
Agriculture News Digest are available at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/newsdigest/archive_en.htm
Some of the subjects covered in this News Digest might fall under
the responsibility of a Commission Directorate-General other than
DG Agriculture and Rural Development.
Legal notice:
The contents of this digest are prepared by officials of the
European Commission and represent their personal views on the
subject matters. These views have not been adopted or in any
way approved by the European Commission and should not be relied
upon as a statement of the Commission or DG Agriculture and Rural
Development. Our goal is to keep the information in this digest
timely and accurate. However the Commission accepts no responsibility
or liability whatsoever with regard to this information.
(c) European Communities, 2002-2008
END
No. 187 - 19 June 2008Agriculture on Europa Top
13/06/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, today announced that the suspension of cereal import duties will remain in force for the next marketing year (which will end on June 30, 2009) unless market conditions justify their reintroduction before that date. The proposal, which was put to the Management Committee for cereals today, is a reaction to the continuing tight situation on the cereals markets and the resulting high price levels. At the same time, there are no export refunds on cereal exports.
Top
13/06/2008 Also available in:
DE | ES | FR
The EU has today initiated anti-subsidy and anti-dumping investigations into imports of biodiesel from the United States. Examination by the European Commission of complaints lodged by European industry found that an investigation was warranted sufficient evidence was provided of subsidies to the US biodiesel sector, as well as dumping of biodiesel in the European market. The complainant has argued that this has had an adverse effect on the European biodiesel industry. A detailed investigation by the Commission will now determine whether measures are justified under EU trade rules.
Top
12/06/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
The first meeting of the High Level Group (HLG) on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food Industry today will help pave the way to boosting the performance of this important sector in Europe. The group, chaired by European Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen, includes Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Consumer Protection Meglena Kuneva, Commissioner for Health Androulla Vassiliou and senior policy makers from the public and private sector. Their task is to identify and address issues that determine the competitiveness of the Agro-Food industry and to formulate a set of recommendations to achieve predictable and stable framework conditions for years to come.
Top
Simplifying the CAP
12/06/2008 Also available in:
DE | FR
The European Commission has taken a further step in the ongoing process of simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy: the elimination of the vast majority of licence obligations for imports and exports in the agricultural sector and the rationalisation of related rules. The changes will result in clear and simple rules and a substantial reduction in administrative burdens for both operators and national administrations. Following the adoption of the Single CMO last year by the Council, the Commission has now decided to substantially reduce the number of products that are subject to an import or export licence. The rules for products that will remain subject to a licensing obligation have been harmonised and simplified, which renders them more accessible and easier to work with.
Top
10/06/2008 Also available in:
DE | EL | FR
The European Commission adopted today a proposal that will facilitate the efficient management of animal by-products, while preserving at the same time the current high levels of protection against risks to public and animal health and the environment. Thousands of slaughterhouses, farms and dairy plants across the EU produce more than 15 million tonnes of animal by-products every year. The proposal for a revised Regulation on animal by-products introduces clearer rules and sets the general framework for more risk-proportionate requirements for these products. Farmers and the wide range of sectors producing and using animal by-products will benefit from a more coherent legal framework for the collection, use and disposal of animal by-products. The new rules will also clarify when and how environmental legislation applies, and make it easier to use materials of animal origin for technical applications.
Questions and answers on animal by-products (also available in DE | EL | FR)
Top
Commissioner Fischer Boel's website
Commissioner Fischer Boel: Speeches and blog entries
New blog entry: "FAO conference putting farming on top of the development agenda" (12/06/2008)
"Is the grass greener on the other side? The future of grassland production"
(European Grassland Federation conference, Uppsala, 12/06/2008)
"A Health Check for sustainable competitiveness"
< | 
