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).
Foot and Mouth disease in Germany seems to be isolated incident
Following the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany reported on Friday 10 January, investigations are still ongoing to determine the source of infection. Testing of kept animals in the restricted zones is complete, and testing of wild animals is still ongoing. To date, no further outbreaks have been reported. Both the states of Brandenburg and Berlin have lifted the standstill for the movement of animals susceptible to FMD.
EU proposes tariffs on Russian & Belarusian farm produce & fertiliser
The European Commission has tabled a proposal to reduce dependence on Russian supplies. Under the proposal, duties on all food and agricultural products imported from Russia and Belarus will increase by 50% on value. For fertilisers, the tariffs will rise from the current 6.5% in proportion to the value to 100% in three years, reaching €315 per tonne for nitrogenous fertilisers and €430 per tonne for other fertilisers.
In 2023, EU fertiliser imports from Russia, one of the biggest players on the global market, amounted to 3.6 million tonnes, €1.28 billion, more than 25% of the EU's total imports in volume terms, and increased in 2024. On top of this, Moscow has imposed taxes on exports, which are used to finance the state budget.
While there has been a push from the EU fertiliser industry and the Nordic and Baltic countries, other EU member states have been more cautious, fearing an increase in production costs for farmers. The proposal includes safeguard measures, such as the possibility of temporary suspension of tariffs in the event of a surge in the price of fertilisers over a transitional period of four years. The draft regulation will now go before the European Parliament and the Council.
Continued calls to find solution that enables EU-UK trade of seed potatoes
The resumption of EU-GB trade of seed potatoes remains a live issue for both UK and the European industries, and a priority for the UK, having raised it all levels of Trade & Cooperation Agreement (TCA) governance since 2021. In autumn of 2024, the European Commission undertook a plant health audit of GB’s seed potato production system which was a positive step to resuming trade, but there remain further stages to overcome. The Commission needs to produce an audit report, that will form the basis of a recommendation to SCOPAFF (Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed). A swift audit report is now therefore necessary as an important step to resume trade ahead of the 2025 planting season. We call on the EU Commission and the UK government to urgently reach an agreement to allow trade in certified seed potatoes to and from the EU to start again.
The Polish Presidency has prepared a compromise proposal for the Council's position on the Commission proposal concerning plants obtained using certain new genomic techniques (NGT). They have stated that addressing the concerns linked to existence of patents on plants obtained by NGTs was a way to reach to qualified majority, which aim to strike a balance between safeguarding patent protections and ensuring breeders’ access to plant material, the proposal includes clearer definitions on what a “category 1 NGT plant” is, and drawing sharp lines between product patents (covering plant traits) and process patents (covering the enabling technologies). Member States discussed the latest Presidency text on the proposal for a Regulation on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques on 20 January 2025 and now have until the end of January to submit their comments in writing with a further meeting of the Working Group arranged for 13 February.
The USA and Canada have lifted bans on certain French poultry imports after France mandated duck vaccinations against avian influenza in October 2023. The USA and Canada took immediate action and banned the import of French poultry. Following a year of negotiations and risk assessments, the USDA’s APHIS now allows imports of unvaccinated poultry and products. More here.
European countries provide support for BTV-3 vaccination
Outbreaks of BTV-3 have continued to be reported across many European countries, albeit at a slower rate than in the summer and autumn months. On 17 January, the European Medicines Agency (EDA) recommended the approval of two vaccines for BTV3: Bluevac-3 and Syvazul BTV 3. Bluevac-3 is approved for use in both sheep and cattle, and Syvazul BTV3 for use on sheep. The respective recommendations will now be sent to the European Commission for adoption of the decisions on EU-wide marketing authorisations of the two vaccines.
In Switzerland, where 1,958 farms have reported BTV-3 to date, the government is aiming for all animals to be vaccinated to protect animals from serious disease and prevent long-term economic losses, and the federal government will contribute CHF 10 million to the cost of vaccination for farmers.
The compulsory Belgian vaccination scheme has been underway since January 2025, and in France, all doses of Bultavo 3 and Bluevac 3 provided through the free scheme have now been exhausted.
Agriculture commissioner calls for clampdown on pesticide residues in imported foods
Agriculture and Food Commissioner, Christophe Hansen, called for stricter controls on EU food imports, hinting at a change in the Commission’s stance on trade. Speaking at the IFA conference in Dublin, Hansen said it was not fair that food imports from third countries contained residues of pesticides banned in the EU. The EU executive has long made several proposals to maintain the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for some substances on imported food products, citing specific conditions in non-EU countries. The European Parliament, has pushed back, seeking a zero-tolerance policy instead. Luxembourg’s Agriculture Minister Martine Hansen (Mr Hansen’s cousin) backed by six other countries including France and Spain submitted a paper to Monday's Council meeting pushing to end import tolerances for pesticides banned in the EU. She’s also proposing binding sustainability clauses in trade deals.
Netherlands to develop a new nitrogen plan in 2 months
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced on Friday that the cabinet is aiming to develop a new strategy to combat nitrogen-based pollution within two months. However, he declined to go into detail or comment on the fact that two coalition parties – the far-right PVV and the pro-countryside BBB – want to scrap the current rules instead. Earlier this week, judges ordered the government to work on a plan to cut nitrogen-based pollution by 50% in sensitive parts of the countryside by 2030 or face a €10 million fine. The target was drawn up by earlier administrations.
Second application for lab-grown meat submitted to the EU
A second application for lab grown meat has been submitted for approval to the Commission (DG SANTE). Submitted by Dutch company, Mosa Meat (the same company that unveiled the world’s first cell-based beef burger costing €254,000 in 2013), the application is for lab-grown beef fat. The application follows in the footsteps of Gourmey’s application for lab-grown foie gras, submitted to DG SANTE in July 2024. Both products require an assessment by EFSA who will assess the safety and nutritional value of the novel foods. This is expected to take 9 months.
EU and Malaysia relaunch free trade agreement negotiations
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar bin Ibrahim have announced the relaunch of negotiations for an ambitious, modern and balanced EU-Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA). The EU is Malaysia's 4th largest trade partner, with trade in goods worth €45 billion in 2023, and trade in services worth €11 billion in 2022. The agreement will aim to build the EU-Malaysia partnership on robust commitments on labour rights and climate and environmental protection, while furthering the EU's strategic engagement with the rapidly growing Indo-Pacific region. The EU and Malaysia are committed to advancing swiftly in the FTA talks and aim to hold a first substantive round of negotiations in the coming months.
Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR) Directive published in the Official Journal
The PPWR text, along with its relevant translations, has been published in the Official Journal. The Regulation will officially enter into force on the 20th day following its publication (11 February 2025) and will become applicable starting 12 August 2026. The legislation includes:
All packaging on the EU market must be recyclable and contain a minimum recycled content.
For fresh fruit and vegetables, single-use packaging for less than 1.5kg will be restricted.
Reuse targets for beverages have been introduced, but milk and other perishable beverages are exempt.
The legislation will apply directly in Northern Ireland.
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
