Upcoming EU regulatory changes and opportunities for feedback: Quarterly report

Update

For some new policies and regulations, the EU gives the opportunity to all stakeholders (including those from non-EU countries) to provide their input and feedback. For more information on the EU consultation process, see How to provide feedback on upcoming EU policies and regulations – explained. The upcoming initiatives so far announced for September 2024 to early 2025 are listed here.

Background

The European Commission will be collecting feedback on the new agri-food policies and regulations listed here.

Once consultations are launched, all stakeholders (competent authorities, trade associations, individual exporters) may provide direct feedback via the EU’s Have your say webpages.

Participating in this process is important, and helps to ensure that the interests of low- and middle-income countries are taken into account when new policies or regulations are developed by the EU.

These consultations are part of the Commission’s commitment to greater regulatory transparency and are carried out in line with its Better Regulation Guidelines.

Impacted Products

Fish, olive oil, animal products, plant-based food, food supplements, fortified foods, food contact materials

Upcoming opportunities to give feedback

Stakeholders can provide input to public consultations or give feedback on draft proposals for the following.

Fish

Rules for fishery products frozen in brine on board vessels and for unpurified bivalve molluscs – Delegated Regulation
Aim: Establish strict freezing procedures on board vessels for fish frozen in brine to allow delivery to the final consumer (in addition to fish processors).
Timeline: Last quarter of 2024.

Common Fisheries Policy – Evaluation
Aim: Evaluate if the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation has successfully contributed to environmentally and socially sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture.
Timeline: Call for evidence until 6 September 2024, followed by public consultation in the last quarter of 2024.

Food safety

Vitamins and minerals added to food (minimum and maximum levels – Regulation
Aim: Set maximum levels for vitamins and minerals that may be added to food supplements and foods; and set minimum levels for food supplements.
Timeline: Update expected soon.

Fruit and vegetables

Reviewing sectoral rules and modernising certain market-monitoring rules and mechanisms – Delegated Regulation
Aim: Review and codify sectoral rules covering fruit and vegetables, and streamline certain market monitoring rules and mechanisms.
Timeline: Last quarter of 2024.

Animal products

Animal welfare - verifying compliance with EU welfare rules (detailed requirements) – Implementing Regulation
Aim: Reinforce controls of EU animal welfare rules during official meat inspections in slaughterhouses, such as monitoring the condition of pigs’ tails and broilers’ feet as indicators of on-farm animal welfare. Update of rules on health markings and the on-farm slaughter of animals including cattle, pigs and ostriches.
Timeline: Last quarter of 2024.

Animal health – EU entry requirements for plant material and means of animal transport – Delegated Regulation
Aim: Reinforce requirements on plant materials such as hay and straw, and the means of transport for animals and animal products to prevent animal diseases entering the EU.
Timeline: Update expected soon.

Amendment of ante-mortem inspection at the farm of origin for meat production – Delegated Regulation
Aim: Update rules to:

• require ante-mortem (before slaughter) inspection for sheep and goats where slaughter is allowed on the the holding where the animals were last reared (“holding of provenance”)
• allow stunned and bled farmed ratites (flightless birds) and farmed even-toed game mammals to be transported to a game-handling establishment.

Timeline: EU consultation until 22 October 2024.

Update on post-mortem inspection, food chain information and health marking – Implementing Regulation
Aim: Update rules on risk-based post-mortem inspection, post-mortem inspection of certain farmed game in game-handling establishments, and requirements on food chain information related to ungulates.
Timeline: First quarter of 2025.

Residues

Pesticide residues in food – methods for sampling and analysis (update) – Regulation
Aim: Update pesticide maximum residue levels (MRLs) sampling and analysis methods: a new Implementing Regulation will replace Directive 2002/63/EC.
Timeline: Update expected soon.

Residue monitoring plan (RMP) – list of countries with approved control plans (amendment) – Implementing Regulation
Aim: Update the current list of non-EU countries authorised to export food of animal origin into the European Union.
Timeline: Update expected soon.

Organic production

Organic imports – list of recognised control authorities and control bodies (third amendment) – Implementing Regulation
(See Organic products: Recognition of control bodies)
Timeline: EU consultation until 9 October 2024.

Organic and in-conversion products – import controls and certificates of inspection (revision) – Implementing Regulation
Aim: Revise the rules on EU import controls and inspection certificates for organic and in-conversion products that are not yet certified under EU organic legislation.
Timeline: Expected soon.

Organic production – amended list of authorised products and substances – Implementing Regulation
Aim: Amend the list of products and substances that may be used in organic production.
Timeline: Initially planned for the second quarter of 2024, but still awaited.

Organic insects – detailed production methods (new rules) – Delegated Regulation
Aim: Set detailed rules for the organic production of insects (except bees) used in feed or food, including where insects should come from, how they should be fed, and how they should be kept and killed.
Timeline: Third quarter of 2024.

Pesticides

Plant protection – additional unacceptable co-formulants in Annex III to the Plant Protection Products Regulation – Regulation
Aim: List substances that are unacceptable co-formulants in Annex III to Regulation 1107/2009 on the sale, use, and control of plant protection products in the EU (according to criteria established in Regulation 2023/574).
Timeline: First half of 2025.

Trade

Agricultural products – adapting rules on import licences and tariff quotas to allow the use of electronic documents – Delegated and Implementing Regulations
Aim: Replace the current templates for import and export licences with a data model that will allow the digitisation of all customs procedures related to checks on documents that accompany agricultural products.
Timeline: End 2024/ early 2025.

EU-Ukraine trade – further reciprocal tariff liberalisation under Art. 29 of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement – Proposal for a decision
Aim: The European Commission will propose a decision that would accelerate and broaden the elimination of customs duties under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
Timeline: EU consultation until 1 October 2024.

EU-Moldova trade – further reciprocal tariff liberalisation under Article 147 of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement – Proposal for a decision
Aim: The European Commission will propose further liberalisztion of trade in goods with Moldova under the EU-Moldova Association Agreement.
Timeline: Call for evidence expected soon.

Modification of the management of two tariff rate quotas for the import of poultry from Brazil – Implementing Regulation
Aim: The Regulation will amend the management of two tariff rate quotas for the import of poultry products from Brazil.
Timeline: Draft expected soon.

Biocidal products

Biocidal products – renewing authorisations of products subject to mutual recognition – Delegated Regulation
Aim: Clarify the scope of application of Regulation 492/2014 (which authorisations can be renewed in a group application, amendment of renewal procedures/timelines).

Timeline: Last quarter of 2024.

Biocides – Review Programme Regulation on existing biocidal active substances (update) – Delegated Regulation
Aim: Update Regulation 1062/2014, including rules governing the review programme of existing active substances under Regulation 528/2012. The main aim is to speed up progress in completing the review of biocides.
Timeline: Third quarter of 2024.

Several initiatives announced in the Farm to Fork Strategy (such as sustainable food systems, labelling, animal welfare, etc.) were planned but have been delayed (see Overview: EU Farm to Fork and Green Deal Initiatives).

Recommended Actions

Keep track of the timelines listed in this record, which are updated on a regular basis. The most relevant open consultations will be highlighted in the regular AGRINFO Update emails.

If there are currently problems in accessing the EU market due to the rules referred to in the areas above, these consultations offer an opportunity to highlight existing issues. Input into consultations is always best supported by relevant supporting information and data, so it is important to start collecting information at an early stage in anticipation of a consultation.

Resources

European Commission: Better Regulation: why and how

Sources