Welcome to the latest edition of Brussels in Brief. The BAB team is here, we are in Brussels and we want to work on behalf of you and your members. You can find out more on what is happening in Europe at our website - BAB (britishagriculturebureau.co.uk).
Slovakia detects sixth case of FMD
Over the weekend, Slovakia reported its sixth case of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The farm is near the village of Jurová in the Dunajská Streda district of western Slovakia. The farm has 870 beef cattle and is owned by agribusiness group, Exata. The group also operates one of the first infected farms near the village of Baka, which is where the virus may have spread from. The total of infected farms in Slovakia is now 6, with 4 in Hungary.
EU retaliates against US steel and aluminium tariffs, and then pauses
On 9 April, Member States voted to support the Commission’s proposal to introduce additional tariffs on a range of US imports in retaliation to the 25% tariffs introduced by the US on imports of steel and aluminium. The package will be introduced in three stages with measures covering €3.9 billion in trade due to come into force from 15 April, with a further €13.5 billion from mid-May and a final round of €3.5 billion following in December.
The final tranche includes soyabeans, which are widely used as a feed ingredient by European livestock producers. The package excludes products like wine and bourbon whiskey due to concerns from the EU agrifood sector about further retaliatory tariffs. However, no sooner had the ink dried on the paper, then the US President announced that he was suspending implementation of the additional 10% global tariff that had been due to apply to EU exports, whilst maintaining the baseline tariff of 10%. Following the US President’s announcement, the EU signalled on 10 April that it will pause the introduction of the additional tariffs for 90 days to allow time to find a negotiated settlement.
First report on EU-wide sales and use of antimicrobials in animals
The EMA has published its 1st report on EU-wide sales and use of antimicrobials in animals. In 2023, sales of antibiotics for food-producing animals accounted for 98% of total EU sales of veterinary medicines containing substances with antibiotic activity, with the highest selling antimicrobial class for food-producing animals penicillins, followed by tetracyclines and sulfonamides. Sweden recorded the lowest sales, followed by Finland and Ireland. Cyprus, Italy, Spain and Poland had the highest. 65% of total EU sales for food-producing animals were category D, 29% category C, and 6% category B. Overall, a 50% drop in sales of antibiotics was observed over 12 years.
However, 2023 was the first full year of data collection and the EMA withheld data, outlining that data provided by member states was incomplete and inconsistent.
Study highlights impact of BTV-3 infection on cattle mortality, abortions and premature births in the Netherlands
A study looking at the impact of bluetongue serotype 3 on cattle mortality, abortions and premature births in the Netherlands in the first year of the epidemic has been published by Van den Brink et al., (2025). The study looked at the results in the Netherlands in 2023 and concludes that BTV-3 infections markedly increased abortions, mortality and premature births in cattle herds in the first year of the epidemic.
Ukrainian exports to the EU
The European Commission has published new trade figures outlining the ‘Impact of the trade liberalisation measures for Ukraine on the EU market – March 2025’. The figures show that honey exports from Ukraine increased 322%, eggs increased 41%, butter 46% and milk powder 44% compared to the year earlier. Poultry exports fell by 35%. Grain exports since July were 12 million metric tons, mostly to Spain, with almost none reaching eastern EU border countries since April 2023.
Commission unveils wine package
The European Commission has published proposals to update the EU wine regime in response to the problems besetting the sector caused by oversupply. The proposals include nationally funded grubbing up and green harvesting schemes, permitting the halting of new planting permits in certain regions, and increasing the amount of the financial contribution for climate-adapted projects. The Commission also proposes to harmonise ingredient labelling with an EU-wide QR code, as well as facilitating terms for increasingly popular low- and no-alcohol wines (“Alcohol Light” and “Alcohol Free”), help to develop wine tourism, and extend the duration of EU promotional programmes. The EU is the world’s most important wine production region accounting for 60% of global wine production and exports.
European Council reaches General Approach on the UTP Directive
Member states' representatives in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) have approved the Council’s negotiating mandate on amending the UTP Directive. The Commission proposal aimed to strengthen cross-border enforcement of UTPs and strengthen the position of farmers in the supply chain. The Council generally supports the Commission proposal, but have proposed some amendments including:
The Council agrees that farmers should be protected from UTPs by buyers in third countries, and buyers in third countries must cooperate with enforcement authorities.
The position introduces rules on covering costs incurred for mutual assistance. The member state requesting information or asking for investigative or enforcement measures would cover the necessary costs incurred by the member state which carried out the investigation or enforcement. Additionally, any fines collected can be used to cover these costs.
The mandate also clarifies the rules under which member states can refuse to comply with a request for information from the national authority of a different member state or refuse to participate in enforcement measures.
The rules are strengthened on data protection, including that data protection is ensured in cross-border enforcement.
Strictly necessary: Strictly necessary cookies serve critical purposes, such as security, network management, and accessibility. While you have the option to adjust your browser settings to disable these cookies, keep in mind that doing so might impact the website’s functionality.
Functionality cookies: Functionality cookies are cookies that help enhance a website’s performance and functionality. For example, functionality cookies can be used to allow video playback or remember a user’s region.
Analytical/performance cookies: All data gathered through analytical cookies is anonymous and used solely to improve our website’s performance and your user experience. Analytical cookies help us understand how you use our website. They tell us which pages you visit most frequently, how long you spend on a page, and which links you select. They help us create a better user experience for you and all our NFU members. Your cookie preferences can be managed in your browser settings, but remember, disabling analytical cookies may limit your ability to access certain features or receive personalised content.
Targeting cookies: Our targeting cookies monitor your interactions with websites. They monitor which pages you visit, how long you spend on a page, and the links you select.
Business benefits: From a business perspective, marketing cookies allow companies to fine-tune their ad campaigns, ensuring they reach the right audience.
Targeted advertising: Armed with this data, marketers can tailor their advertisements to match your preferences. When you see those personalized ads while browsing, its often because marketing cookies have been installed.
Third-party involvement: These cookies are typically set by external entities (not the website your directly visiting). For instance, advertising networks or analytics providers may deploy marketing cookies.
@UKFarmingUnions
