THE LATEST ON EU AGRI-FOOD POLICIES IMPACTING LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES

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Traductions : sélectionner la langue dans la barre de menu ci-dessus ; puis resélectionner la langue dans chaque rapport AGRINFO.

Traducciones: seleccione el idioma en la barra de menú superior; luego, vuelva a seleccionar el idioma en cada informe AGRINFO.

Latest Reports

2023/416

Authorisation: genetically modified oilseed rape MON 94100

EU approves imports of GM oilseed rape MON 94100

  • Biotechnologies
2023/377

Maximum residue levels for profenofos

EU marginally reduces MRLs for profenofos on chervil, chives, celery leaves, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, basil and …

  • Pesticide MRLs
2023/377

Maximum residue levels for flutriafol

EU adopts an import tolerance MRL for flutriafol on melons, watermelons and pumpkins, and reduces the existing …

  • Pesticide MRLs
2023/377

Maximum residue levels for sodium aluminium silicate

EU establishes MRLs for sodium aluminium silicate on all products at 0.01 mg/kg

  • Pesticide MRLs
2023/377

Maximum residue levels for quizalofop

EU establishes MRL for quizalofop on caraway

  • Pesticide MRLs
2022/931, 2022/932

Official controls of contaminants in foods

EU publishes Regulations to standardise official controls of contaminants in food of animal origin and composite products

  • Contaminants
2023/97, 2023/405

Cameroon added to list of countries not cooperating in fighting IUU fishing

European Commission identifies Cameroon as not cooperating in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

  • Common Fisheries Policy
2023/334

Maximum residue levels for thiamethoxam

EU reduces MRLs for thiamethoxam on all products, with impacts on fruit, vegetables, cereals, teas and coffees, …

  • Pesticide MRLs
2023/334

Maximum residue levels for clothianidin

EU reduces MRLs for clothianidin with impacts on fruits, vegetables, cereals, teas and coffees, sugar and animal …

  • Pesticide MRLs
2023/149

Benfluralin: Non-renewal of EU approval

Non-renewal of the pesticide benfluralin for use in the EU

  • Pesticides

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Frequently asked questions

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Certain EU import regulations require action by national administrations in the exporting country. For example, before individual companies can export meat, fish and animal products from a given country, the authorities must meet certain requirements and provide information to the Commission in order to be included in a list of third countries authorised to export such products.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is an EU agency that provides an impartial source of scientific advice to risk managers (European Commission and Member States). EFSA collects and analyses existing research and data provided by Member States or food operators. As a basic principle, EU food law is based on the risk analysis provided by EFSA [General Food Law, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, Art. 5]. When developing new measures, risk managers may also take into account other legitimate factors (social, economic, environmental) and the precautionary principle. In 2021, a new Regulation [(EU) 2019/1381] was adopted to improve the transparency of EFSA’s work and help maintain public confidence in the body.

Basic EU legislation must have the agreement of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament, a process known as the ordinary legislative procedure. After the adoption of a proposal by the European Commission, this process of consultation and reaching agreement between the three institutions can take 12–18 months, but in many cases lasts much longer (see the EU video How do proposals become EU law?). Basic EU legislation provides the legal framework within which more detailed and elaborate rules can be developed through Delegated and Implementing Acts.

Many EU laws are Regulations that are directly applicable in EU Member States. Some laws are Directives, which only come into effect when they are incorporated (or transposed) into the national law of the Member State. A Directive sets out a goal that all EU countries must achieve, but it is up to each Member State to develop its own laws to achieve these goals. A Directive will set a timeframe in which Member States must adopt national laws. The Single-Use Plastics Directive is a recent example of a law that is being transposed into national laws. This may lead to different rules across EU Member States.

In the European Union, the Council of Ministers and European Parliament are responsible for adopting legislation. However, they can delegate to the Commission the power to adopt Delegated Acts. This permits the Commission to act quickly and flexibly, making use of its technical expertise. Delegated Acts supplement or amend basic EU laws, but cannot go beyond the scope of the legislation. The Commission adopts Delegated Acts after consulting national experts and stakeholders. Delegated Acts are then submitted to the Council and the Parliament, who cannot change the acts, but under certain conditions may veto them.

Member States are responsible for implementing EU Directives and Regulations. Further acts are sometimes needed to ensure these Directives and Regulations are implemented uniformly. These acts confer powers on the Commission to adopt Implementing Acts. The Commission submits draft acts to committees made up of member state representatives (known as “comitology”). The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers have a right of scrutiny on Implementing Acts.

Although the Lisbon Treaty that reorganised the powers of EU institutions entered into force in 2009, there is still ongoing discussion between these institutions on the appropriate implementing and delegated powers of the Commission in regard to individual pieces of legislation. In some cases, therefore, the powers are still those that applied before the Lisbon Treaty, in which case the term “Commission Regulation” rather than “Commission Delegated/ Implementing Regulation” is used.

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) was set up to allow the rapid exchange of information between EU Member States on risks to public health related to the food chain. On the basis of information shared, products can potentially be recalled from the market with the aim of preventing food safety risks before they cause harm. Only Member States have access to the detail of individual cases of food risk that are notified to RASFF. However, it is possible for the public to have access to summary information via the RASFF Window notification database.

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AGRINFO reports are available in these languages via the on-screen tools. Importantly, please be aware that these are automatic translations and the quality can vary, particularly for technical content. These tools can, however, help to provide a general understanding of the content.

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