EU Commission formally takes to office
Ursula von der Leyen’s second European College of Commissioners formally took to office on 1 December 2024, following a positive vote from the European Parliament on 27 November. Made up of 27 individuals from each Member State, the College operates under the leadership of the President of the European Commission and includes several Vice Presidents. Each Commissioner is assigned a specific policy portfolio, and their main role is to ensure the smooth functioning of the EU including by implementing policies, enforcing laws and proposing new legislation. The College of Commissioners serve a five-year term, and the new Commission will be in place until 2029. Commissioners are from the following political groupings:
- 15 Commissioners from European People’s Party (EPP) – centre-right
- 5 Commissioners from Socialists & Democrats (S&D) – centre-left
- 5 Commissioners from Renew – centre
- 1 Commissioner from Patriots for Europe (PfE) – right to far-right
- 1 Commissioner from European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) – right to far right
Denmark agrees carbon tax on agriculture
On Monday 18 November, a broad majority in the Danish Parliament voted in support of the Green Tripartite Agreement – the agreement that will introduce a carbon tax on agriculture. This comes after months of negotiations between the country’s major parties, farmers, the industry, trade unions and environmental groups which saw The Green Tripartite agreement announced in June.
From 2030 farmers will have to pay 120 Danish krone (€16) per ton of emitted CO2 equivalent, rising to 300 krone (€40) from 2035 onwards. The agreement will direct 43 billion Danish kroner (£4.8B/€5.8B) to buy land from farmers and convert it into forests, with a plan to plant a billion trees on agricultural land in the next two decades.
BTV in Europe
New cases of Blue Tongue Virus Serotype-3 (BTV-3) are beginning to tail off as we approach the colder, low vector period in Europe. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office in Switzerland has declared a period of vector inactivity from 1 December 2024 to 31 March 2025 (subject to change). During the period of vector inactivity, prohibition measures, measures aimed at reducing midge bites and vaccinations may be waived in whole or in part. The ordinance establishing measures to prevent the spread of bluetongue has been amended accordingly.
Two further farms have been infected with BTV-12 in the Netherlands, bringing the total number of infected premises to 11.
COP29 round-Up
UK farmers were represented at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan by Jenny Brunton, Senior European Policy Advisor at the British Agriculture Bureau and Dr Ceris Jones, NFU senior climate change adviser. The agreed finance goal had risen from $250bn to $300bn, accompanied by a planned roadmap to reach ‘at least’ $1.3 trillion for consideration at next year’s COP30 in Belem, Brazil, as well as an intended review of the $300bn figure in 2030. It is also gratifying that COP29 finally concluded the carbon trading rules originally set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Farmers across the world will want to make sure that carbon markets prioritise farmers’ rights, consider the diversity of farm systems and actually work for farmers in practice. We now look ahead to COP30 in Belem, Brazil where we expect a heightened focus on agriculture including food security, deforestation, soil and livestock systems. Read more here.
European Court of Auditors food labelling report
On 25 November, the European Court of Auditors published a report calling for stricter controls and penalties of non-compliance of food labelling. The report outlines that food labelling can make better-informed decisions when purchasing food, but there are notable gaps in the EU legal framework as well as weaknesses in the monitoring, reporting, control systems, and sanctions. Several recommendations are made including addressing the gaps in the EU legal framework for food labelling, stepping-up efforts to analyse labelling practices, and taking action to improve consumer understanding of food labelling.
Whilst we do not yet know what priority amending food labelling legislation will be for the incoming Commission, we could expect to see legislative proposals over the coming years.
EU agri-food trade
The Commission’s agri-food trade report for August 2024 was published on 28 November. EU agri-food trade surplus decreased by 15% in August 2024 compared to July, with a value of EUR 5.2 billion. This is a reduction of 10% compared to August 2023. EU surplus was EUR 44.8 billion between January-August 2024 and remained EUR 431 million higher than the same period in 2023. EU exports reached EUR 18.6 billion in August 2024, a reduction of 10% on the previous month, but still 1% higher than in August 2023. Since January, cumulative EU exports reached EUR 155.8 billion, 2% higher than on the same period in 2023. EU export value increased significantly for olives and olive oil and cocoa products due to increased prices. Exports decreased for vegetable oils and cereals. EU exports to the US and the UK increased the most, while exports in direction of China and Russia decreased.
