Legal Field | 01 – 15 December

AGRIFISH Council of 9 and 10 December: main results

The Council unanimously adopted a set of conclusions on a post-2027 common agricultural policy (CAP) centred on farmers, with a view to a competitive, crisis-resistant, sustainable, farmer-friendly and knowledge-based future EU agriculture.

The Council held a policy debate to discuss the ways in which the bioeconomy can be further developed. In this context, ministers urged the Commission to come up with simplifying and coherent policies to fully realise the potential of this sector.

The Council emphasised that the bioeconomy has transformative potential for the EU and that it is aligned with the EU’s objectives of climate neutrality, circularity and rural development.

They also addressed ways to improve existing regulations and policies, including the CAP, to boost the competitiveness of the bioeconomy and promote research, innovation and employment in rural areas, especially for young people.

The Council recalled its conclusions on the opportunities of the bioeconomy, which placed special emphasis on rural areas and were adopted in April 2023.

Under “Other business”, the Presidency presented the conclusions adopted in November 2024 by the Competitiveness Council on harnessing the potential of the bioeconomy in Central and Eastern European countries. These conclusions emphasise the role of sustainable biomass production in achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal for 2030 and 2050. They also emphasise the importance of the circular economy and stress the need for broader transnational collaboration.

The Presidency also reported on the results of the high-level conference entitled “Partnerships for the future – BIOEAST and beyond” on the research and innovation priorities of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

In addition, Finland presented a “Miscellaneous” item, which was supported by the majority of member states, on ways to increase biogas production and nutrient recycling.

The Presidency presented a progress report detailing the work carried out to date at technical level on the proposal for a forest monitoring framework, allowing ministers to exchange views on the state of play of this dossier.

In general, ministers welcomed the proposed objective of harmonising and standardising forestry data at EU level.

However, the majority emphasised that the proposal should be simplified and use a bottom-up approach based on Member States’ existing national forest monitoring systems. They also emphasised that the proposal should focus on collecting forest data with a clear added value, in order to avoid excessive administrative burdens and costs.

Some ministers said that the proposed framework for forest monitoring should allow sufficient flexibility to take account of national specificities.

The Council welcomed the progress made under the Hungarian Presidency and agreed that work should continue at technical level.

Under “Other business”, the Hungarian Presidency informed the Council about the Conference on the future of the European beekeeping sector.

The Council also received information from several delegations under the “Other business” heading.

• Agreement on a Green Denmark – model for a tax on greenhouse gases in agricultural production (Danish delegation)
• Rural development funds (Romanian delegation)

During an exchange of views, the ministers informed the new Commissioner for Agriculture and Food of their priorities for the future CAP.

In this context, the Council provided political guidelines for the new Commission to take into account when preparing the vision for agriculture and food in the first 100 days of its mandate, as well as the legislative proposals for the CAP post-2027.

Fisheries ministers have reached a political agreement on fishing opportunities in the Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea for 2025. The agreement, reached today by consensus after two days of negotiations, establishes fish catch limits, also known as “total allowable catches” (TACs), and fishing effort limits for the most important commercial fish stocks. Fishing effort refers to the size and engine power of a vessel combined with the number of fishing days.

The agreed limits are in line with the objective of ensuring the long-term sustainability of fish stocks and the protection of marine ecosystems, while limiting the impact on communities that depend on fishing.

The Presidency presented the Council with an overview of the progress made during its mandate on two legislative proposals: the proposal on plant reproductive material and the proposal on forest reproductive material.

With regard to plant reproductive material, the Hungarian Presidency continued to analyse the text centred on the registration of plant varieties at national and EU level.

With regard to forest reproductive material, the technical discussions centred on a number of elements, including in particular the provisions on conservation varieties and the list of tree species covered by the new regulation. The proposed rules for official controls were also the subject of in-depth debate.

The Council welcomed the progress made under the Hungarian Presidency on both proposals, but concluded that more time was needed to discuss the outstanding issues.

The Hungarian Presidency informed the Council of the progress made at technical level during the detailed examination of the proposal.

Following the conclusion of the first round of analysis of the text, the technical discussions centred in particular on Chapter V (on obligations during transport and at the place of destination). The Presidency also identified a number of cross-cutting issues that would require further discussion.

Ministers welcomed the progress made to date. They emphasised the importance of ensuring a high level of animal welfare, but also of avoiding administrative and financial burdens for economic operators and distortions of trade.

Due to the complexity of the proposal, the ministers agreed that more detailed discussions would be needed at a technical level, with particular emphasis on the cross-cutting issues identified.

Under “Other business”, the Hungarian Presidency provided the Council with information on

• the state of play of the proposal on new genomic techniques
• the work in the veterinary field carried out during the Hungarian Presidency

The Council also received information from several delegations under the “Other business” heading.

• African swine fever and bluetongue (Italian and German delegations)
• Biological control (German and Danish delegations)
• Plant protection products and the use of drones (Portuguese delegation)
• Biotechnologies (Danish and Spanish delegations)
• Review of EU animal welfare legislation (Swedish delegation)
• Introduction of a charitable food business operator in European food legislation (German delegation)

(Documentation on the AGRIFISH Council is available under Documents and studies)

The European Commission has proposed new measures to strengthen the position of farmers in the agri-food supply chain and improve cross-border enforcement of unfair trading practices

On 10 December, the European Commission proposed specific amendments to the current legal framework laid down in the regulation establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (CMO) and a new regulation on the cross-border application of the rules against unfair trading practices. These proposals aim to strengthen the position of farmers and re-establish trust between players in the agri-food supply chain. Both proposals directly reflect several recommendations from the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture and respond to some of the most pressing challenges facing the agricultural sector.

Improving the position of farmers in the agri-food supply chain and supporting their income are important objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The specific amendments presented are specifically aimed at:

• strengthen the position of farmers in the agri-food supply chain and achieve a greater degree of trust between the players;
• improving the rules applicable to contracts between farmers and buyers by making written contracts a general obligation and improving the way in which long-term contracts take account of market developments and fluctuations in costs and economic conditions by making it compulsory to set up mediation mechanisms between farmers and their buyers;
• strengthen producer organisations and their associations by improving their negotiating power, enabling Member States to grant them more financial support within the framework of CAP sectoral interventions and simplifying the rules on their legal recognition;
• allow the EU to financially support producer organisations that take private initiatives to manage crises;
• define when optional terms such as “fair”, “equitable” and “short supply chains” can be used to describe the organisation of the supply chain when marketing agricultural products;
• broadening the possibility for farmers and other stakeholders to agree on sustainability initiatives with certain social dimensions, such as supporting generational renewal, preserving the viability of small farms or improving the working conditions of farmers and farm labourers.

At the same time, the Commission has proposed new cross-border enforcement rules against unfair trading practices in the agricultural and food supply chain prohibited by the so-called UTP Directive. On average, around 20 per cent of agricultural and food products consumed in one Member State come from another Member State. There is a need to strengthen the co-operation of national enforcement authorities, notably by improving the exchange of information, investigations and the collection of penalties.

The proposal on cross-border enforcement of rules against unfair commercial practices will further strengthen the enforcement of rules against unfair commercial practices in business-to-business relations in the agricultural and food supply chain by supporting transnational enforcement. The proposal introduces procedural rules on how this cooperation in cross-border cases will be carried out and concretised. Through the creation of a mutual assistance mechanism, national enforcement authorities will be able to request and exchange information and ask another enforcement authority to take enforcement action on their behalf. This approach allows enforcement authorities to agree on launching coordinated action where there is reasonable suspicion of widespread unfair commercial practices with a cross-border dimension. These investigations strengthen EU-level protection for farmers and small and medium-sized suppliers against unfair trading practices in the agri-food supply chain.

(See Commission proposals in Documents and studies)

The European Commission has allocated 132 million euros to promote sustainable, high-quality agri-food products in the EU and worldwide

The European Commission announced on the 13th that it will allocate 132 million euros in 2025 to co-finance activities to promote sustainable, high-quality EU agri-food products on the internal market and worldwide.

The promotion policy work programme for 2025, adopted by the Commission, is designed to develop new market opportunities for EU farmers and the EU food industry in general, as well as to help them secure their current activities. Its priorities take into account the overall objectives of sustainability and competitiveness, as well as food security, outlined in the political guidelines for the Commission 2024-2029.

The adoption of the 2025 work programme also marks 10 years of EU promotion policy. During this period, more than 600 campaigns have been co-financed by the European Commission under its common signature – “Enjoy, it’s from Europe” – supporting the reputation of EU agri-food products in the Union and around the world.

The amounts available for the programmes to be selected in 2025 are divided between promotion in third countries and on the EU’s internal market, with 63.4 million euros and 58.6 million euros respectively.

The work programme identifies regions and countries with high growth potential outside the EU as the main target markets for promotion. These include China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and North America. The UK remains one of the main export markets for EU agri-food products, absorbing more than 20 per cent of EU agri-food exports.

(See Documents and studies)

#USAgriFoodDays

The second EU Agri-Food Days took place in Brussels from 10 to 12 December.

These days aim to allow stakeholders to discuss the prospects for European agriculture, agricultural market trends, food safety, sustainability, digital technologies and data flows, together with farmers, EU policy makers, business representatives, analysts and digital experts.

The event promoted reflection on the current and future challenges facing the European agri-food sector and an assessment of how the Common Agricultural Policy and the EU Green Deal could contribute to greener, fairer and more competitive agriculture in Europe.

The inaugural edition of the EU Agri-Food Days took place in Brussels from 5 to 8 December 2023.

(See Documents and studies)

EU Agricultural Outlook 2024-35: A resilient sector adapting to climate change, sustainability concerns and changing consumer demand

On the occasion of the EU Agri-Food Days, the European Commission published on 11 December the latest report on the medium-term outlook for agriculture in the EU, which presents market projections for EU agriculture up to 2035.

According to the report, the EU’s agricultural sector is expected to remain a net exporter of agri-food products and contribute to global food security, while adapting to challenges such as climate change and changing consumer demand.

The macroeconomic environment is assumed to be stable, with real GDP growth in the EU expected to stabilise in the medium term and inflation returning to the target level of 2%. On this basis, market projections for EU agriculture are developed using agro-economic modelling methods.

The report predicts a change in consumption patterns in the EU: meat consumption is expected to fall slightly, mainly for beef and pork, while vegetable protein consumption is expected to increase. Consumption of dairy products is expected to remain stable, with changing habits and the expansion of new uses.

The market projections are based on the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook for 2024-33, which predicts a slight drop in real world prices for the main agricultural commodities and growing demand from low- and middle-income countries.

(see Documents and studies)

Improving the working conditions and mental well-being of EU farmers and agricultural workers

During the December plenary session, which will take place from the 16th to the 19th of this month, the European Parliament is due to hold a debate on the “Challenges facing EU farmers and agricultural workers: improving working conditions, including their mental well-being”, following a statement by the Commission

(see Documents and studies)

3 billion in EIB Group financing for farmers and the bioeconomy

On 10 December, at a joint press conference with the European Commission, the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, Nadia Calviño, announced a 3 billion euro financing package for agriculture, forestry and fisheries across Europe, as well as measures to strengthen agricultural insurance. The EIB Group’s loans will be matched by other participating financial institutions, unlocking around 8.4 billion euros of long-term investment for the bioeconomy sector.

The support is the largest European agricultural financing initiative supported by the EIB and will be aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-cap companies. The support will be spread over the next three years, with the first loans to be signed in the first half of 2025.

Part of the loans will go to young or new farmers, as they generally find it more difficult to obtain traditional bank finance. Support will also go to women farmers to overcome the gender imbalance in agriculture, as well as to ecological investments to help farmers make the ecological transition a success, in support of the European Union’s sustainability objectives.

The new initiatives are part of an EIB Group action plan in the context of a “Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture” launched by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in January 2024. The Dialogue is a new forum that aims to develop a common understanding and shape a shared vision for the EU’s future agricultural and food system.

The EIB Group will work closely with the European Commission to implement the plan with a view to maximising sources of public investment while leveraging and reducing the risk of private capital in the agricultural sector.

The loans will be aimed at young farmers or newcomers to the sector, as they generally find it more difficult to obtain traditional bank finance. Support will also go to women farmers to overcome the gender imbalance in agriculture, as well as to ecological investments to help farmers make the ecological transition a success, in support of the European Union’s sustainability objectives.

ARIA 2024 highlighted projects that empower young people and women in rural areas

Coming from all over Europe and selected from over a hundred applications, six projects were awarded the EU CAP Network’s Agricultural and Rural Inspiration Awards (ARIA) in Brussels on 4 December 2024.

The theme of this year’s competition was “Empowering young people”, as ARIA 2024 aimed to highlight projects that strengthen the empowerment of young people and women in rural areas. This edition highlights the projects considered to be the most ecological, intelligent, socially inclusive, innovative and resilient, co-funded by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) at local level.

The awards ceremony highlighted the six winners, five selected by a jury made up of the network’s stakeholders and one chosen through a popular online vote.

The winners were:

• Smart and competitive farming: Iris: the true flavour of Tuscany, Italy
• Protecting the environment: Recycling agricultural plastics, Finland
• Socio-economic fabric of rural areas: The small canning factory, France
• Rural youth: Open farms, rural connections, Italy
• Gender Equality Award: FRAU iDA – Space for Women Entrepreneurs, Austria
• Popular Vote Award: Authentic honey and DNA technology, Estonia

The European Commission has launched the European Board on Agriculture and Food.

On 5 December, the European Commission officially launched the European Board for Agriculture and Food (EBAF), thus following up on one of the recommendations of the final report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture.

Chaired by the Commissioner for Food and Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, the EBAF aims to sustain a new culture of dialogue, trust and multi-stakeholder participation between the players in the food supply chain and civil society, as well as with the Commission.

This advisory body should provide high-level advice to the Commission on the follow-up to the Strategic Dialogue report on the future of EU agriculture and contribute to the work on the vision for agriculture and food, to be presented in the first 100 days of the mandate.

Members will be encouraged to promote understanding and exchange of experience among themselves and to pay particular attention to the coherence and synergy of Union policies and their consistency with private sector initiatives.

The EBAF will have a mandate of five years and should meet, in principle, between two and six times a year. Commissioner Hansen may convene the group for additional meetings when urgent advice is needed.

A call for applications has been published for the composition of the EBAF, which will be made up of a maximum of 30 member organisations representing three categories of stakeholders: the farming community, other players in the food supply chain and civil society, particularly in areas such as the environment and climate, animal welfare or consumer issues. It should have a balanced representation of these three categories of stakeholders.

Organisations applying for membership must demonstrate the broadest skills and expertise in areas relevant to agriculture and food at Union level and have the widest geographical representation in the Member States. They must also be registered in the Transparency Register.

The deadline for submitting applications to the EBAF is 8 January 2025. The Commission will assess all the applications and aims to finalise its composition in early 2025. The first meeting will be convened immediately afterwards.

AGRI Parliamentary Committee: Highlights

On 2 and 3 December, the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) adopted its reports on exceptional support measures for the EAFRD and forest reproductive material from third countries.

They also discussed the inclusion of disabled people in agriculture; organic farming policy; the role of commodity traders on the market; the spread of animal diseases; citrus fruit imports; Horizon Europe; DG AGRI-EUIPO cooperation on GIs; the rural toolbox; the long-term EU budget and the status of seeds from Ukraine and Moldova. MEPs were also briefed on the inter-institutional negotiations on the soil control law.

On 12 December, it held a debate in the context of Gender Equality Week and also discussed the protection of animals during transport and related operations, together with the Transport Committee (TRAN).

PECH Parliamentary Committee: Highlights

On 4 December, during the meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH), the Thematic Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies held a workshop entitled “The future of the EU fishing fleet – First assessment of Member States’ EMFF programmes for 2021-27”.

This workshop provided a first assessment of EAFRD programming for the 2021-27 period. It focused on Article 17 on “First acquisition of a fishing vessel”, Article 18 on “Replacement or modernisation of the engine” and Article 19 on “Increase in gross tonnage to improve safety, working conditions or energy efficiency”.

While a synopsis study provided an overview of the application of the EMFAF by the Member States, three case studies on Spain, France and the Netherlands promoted debate on the national specificities of the fishing fleets and the support provided under the current EMFAF rules.

On 5 December 2024, the Committee on Fisheries held a public hearing entitled “How scientific advice for EU fisheries policy decisions is developed”. This public hearing aimed to gain more insight into how the collection, assessment and evaluation of fisheries data is organised and how scientific advice leads to policy decisions on EU fisheries management, in particular with regard to the establishment of fishing opportunities and technical measures.

Scientific advice, based on reliable data, is fundamental to policy development and decision-making, for example in the process of setting fishing opportunities and adopting conservation and management measures. Speakers from international (ICES, STECF) and national scientific organisations explained how scientific advice is used to achieve sustainable management of fisheries and marine resources.

(See Documents and studies)

World Drought Atlas: the global water crisis demands urgent action

On 2 December, the European Commission’s Joint Reasearch Centre and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification – with the support of scientific partners from the CIMA Research Foundation, the United Nations University and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam – officially launched and presented the World Atlas of Drought at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh.

This Atlas aims to illustrate all the dimensions of drought and frame the challenges and responses to equip policymakers to take measures and actions towards drought resilience.

The message is clear: drought is a global threat and its risks are increasing every day. Without urgent action and international co-operation, its cascading impacts could spill over into economies, financial systems, populations and ecosystems, increasing the risk of triggering shocks and long-term effects.

Through exhaustive scientific analysis covering the past, present and future – and incorporating diverse perspectives, from empirical evidence to indigenous knowledge and real-world success stories – the Atlas shows how droughts are complex systemic hazards with widespread and destructive effects on natural and human systems.

(See Documents and studies)