Upcoming EU regulatory changes and opportunities for feedback: March–September 2024
Published by AGRINFO on ; Revised
Overview of EU policies and regulations under development where non-EU countries can provide feedback: March–September 2024
Better Regulation Guidelines
Better Regulation Toolbox
Update
For some new policies and regulations, the EU gives the opportunity to all stakeholders (including from non-EU countries) to provide their input and feedback. For more information on the EU consultation process, see Stakeholder inputs into EU policy-making – explained. The upcoming initiatives so far announced for March–September 2024 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” website.
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.
The regular AGRINFO Update newsletters highlight when the Commission opens an EU consultation or submits a notification to the WTO for comment. You can subscribe to receive the AGRINFO Update here.
Impacted Products
fish, olive oil, animal products, plant based food, food supplements, fortified foods, organic, 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
Aim: Amend hygiene rules regarding fish initially frozen in brine on board vessels at a temperature of not more than –9°C
Timeline: Initially announced for Q3 2023, but not yet launched
Common Fisheries Policy – evaluation
Aim: Evaluate if the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation has successfully contributed to ensuring that fisheries and aquaculture are managed in an environmentally and socially sustainable way
Timeline: Call for evidence upcoming, followed by public consultation Q4 2024
Food safety
Vitamins and minerals added to food (minimum and maximum levels)
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
Aim: Establish the analytical methods that may be used by EU Member State competent authorities when checking the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs
Timeline: Update expected soon
Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods – update of safety criteria
Aim: Align EU rules with international Codex alimentarius standards on the acceptable level of Listeria monocytogenes contamination of certain categories of ready-to-eat food
Timeline: Q3 2024
Food contact materials
Plastic food contact materials (FCMs) (update to quality control rules)
Aim: Increase quality control on plastic food contact materials by aligning with rules on biocidal products, introducing purity requirements, and adapting testing/quality controls
Timeline: 13 March–15 April 2024
Fruit and vegetables
Reviewing sectoral rules and modernising certain market-monitoring rules and mechanisms
Aim: Review and codify sectoral rules covering fruit and vegetables, and streamline certain market monitoring rules and mechanisms
Timeline: Q4 2024
Olive oil
Olive oil marketing standards – revision of conformity checks
Aim: Bring EU olive oil marketing standards into line with recent changes to the International Olive Council Trade Standard; clarify rules on verifying the organoleptic characteristics of olive oil, and the sampling procedure for conformity checks
Timeline: Q3 2024
Animal products
Animal welfare – protection of animals during transport
Aim: Reinforce animal welfare during transport, based on new scientific evidence including transport from non-EU countries
Timeline: Feedback period ends 12 April 2024
Animal health – EU entry requirements for plant material & means of animal transport
Aim: Prevent animal diseases from non-EU countries and territories entering the EU by completing requirements on plant materials such as hay and straw; and means of transport for animals and animal products
Timeline: Update expected soon
Animal health – disease-free compartments for terrestrial animals
Aim: Set out the general rules that EU countries must follow for the EU to recognise the disease-free status of compartments (distinct units with specific biosecurity measures corresponding to a certain health status) for terrestrial animals, in order to prevent and control animal diseases
Timeline: Update expected soon
Antimicrobials for use in animals: list of substances banned and substances authorised
Aim: Establish a list of permitted/prohibited antimicrobial substances
Timeline: Q3 2024
Residues
Pesticide residues in food – methods for sampling and analysis (update)
Aim: Update the current methods for sampling and analysing plant and animal products to determine their compliance with maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides: an Implementing Regulation will replace Directive 2002/63/EC
Timeline: Update expected soon
Organic production
Organic production – amended list of authorised products and substances
Aim: Amend the list of products and substances that may be used in organic production
Timeline: Q2 2024
Organic insects – detailed production methods (new rules)
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: Q3 2024
Organic and in-conversion products – import controls and certificates of inspection (revision): Delegated Regulation and Implementing Regulation
Aim: Revise the rules on EU import controls for organic and in-conversion products that are not yet certified under EU organic legislation, and the accompanying certificates of inspection
Timeline: Q3 2024
EU organic logo – clarification on versions that can be used
Aim: Clarify which versions of the EU organic production logo can be used (e.g. a negative format of the black-and-white version)
Timeline: Q3 2024
Wine-making – practices allowed under certain conditions to produce organic de-alcoholised wine
Aim: Allow wine-making practices acceptable for the production of non-organic de-alcoholised wine to apply also to the production of organic de-alcoholised wine, under specific conditions
Timeline: Q2 2024
Trade
Tariff quotas – amended rules on reference quantity requirement
Aim: Adjust the rules on reference quantities of agri-food products to avoid any risk of market distortions posed by recent market developments in some sensitive sectors.
Timeline: Q2 2024
Recommended Actions
Keep track of upcoming consultations and make sure to have enough time to collect data and prepare feedback.
Resources
European Commission: Better Regulation: why and how
Sources
Online resources from the European Commission:
- Better Regulation Guidelines
- Better Regulation Toolbox
Better Regulation Toolbox by chapters
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