This latest edition of FoodNavigator's Brussels Bulletin covers the UK Prime Minister's Brexit deal, a new environmental watchdog in the UK, and an open consultation on pesticide residue in food.
This latest edition of FoodNavigator's Brussels Bulletin covers the UK Prime Minister's Brexit deal, a new environmental watchdog in the UK, and an open consultation on pesticide residue in food.
EU and UK negotiators reached a Brexit deal yesterday (17 October). This Saturday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will try to persuade MPs at the House of Commons to pass the deal.
If Johnson is successful, food and agricultural trade would be allowed to continue business-as-usual between the UK and EU Member States until the end of the post-Brexit transition period in 2020. Beyond this, a two-year extension until 2022 could be permitted if both sides agree.
If MPs are not persuaded this weekend, the UK will either request an extension – which it may or may not be granted – or fall out of the EU without a deal.
The agreement avoids a hard border between Northern Ireland (NI) and the EU. NI would come under the customs territory of the UK, meaning that no customs duties would be payable for a good brought into Northern Ireland from another part of the UK, unless there was risk that good would then move into the bloc.
Looking to trade, NI would continue to follow EU legislation without officially belonging to the Single Market.
EU agri-food chain representatives Copa and Cogeca, CELCAA and FoodDrinkEurope have welcomed the agreement.
“In particular, the EU agri-food chain endorses the revised Political Declaration which confirms the ambition to conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with zero tariffs and quantitative restrictions between the EU and the UK.
“Despite the welcomed commitment to maintaining customs and regulatory convergence in future, we will not be able to replicate the advantages of the EU customs union and Single Market through an FTA. However, we hope to find a solution that is as close as possible to the current customs and regulatory agreement,” noted the cohort.
A hard Brexit would have been detrimental for EU and UK farmers, food and drink manufacturers, traders in agri-food commodities as well as consumers, the representatives continued.
“Copa and Cogeca, CELCAA and FoodDrinkEurope call for the swift ratification of this deal by the EU and the UK before 31 October. Everything must be done to prevent the UK from leaving the EU without an agreement.”
In contrast, the UK's Food and Drink Federation was much less welcoming of the deal, urging MPs to 'consider' the long-term consequences deciding whether to accept the agreement tomorrow (19 October).
Ian Wright CBE, FDF CEO, insisted: “It is critical that the threat of a disastrous no-deal Brexit on 31 October be lifted."
However, he continued: "As they cast their vote tomorrow, MPs must also consider what this deal means in the longer term for food and drink, the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, and the supply chain’s four million employees.
“In our view, when compared with the deal secured by Theresa May, this deal represents a backward step in terms of securing frictionless trade with the EU. It also sets us on course for regulatory divergence from our largest overseas market on critical food safety, science and quality issues – areas where we are world-leading. Both of these will increase costs for businesses and consumers alike, and undermine the success of the UK’s food and drink industry – an industry already burdened by extensive, diverting and costly planning for a no-deal exit.”
The new protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and the Political Declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the UK can be found here.
Image source: GettyImages/Tanaonte
The UK has published a policy paper on its Environmental Bill, detailing its objectives and focus areas.
Coming under the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the Bill represents part of the government’s response to the ‘clear and scientific case’ and ‘growing public demand’ for advancement in environmental protection and recovery.
“The Environment Bill brings about urgent and meaningful action to deal with the environmental and climate crisis we are facing,” states the paper.
“It sets a new and ambitious domestic framework for environmental government as we maximise the opportunities created by leaving the European Union and helps to deliver on the government’s commitment to be the first generation to leave our environment in a better state.”
Among the Bill’s list of actions is the establishment of a new, independent watchdog: the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). The watchdog’s objective is to monitor progress in improving the natural environment – in accordance with the UK’s environmental improvement plans and targets.
Waste is also of concern. According to the policy paper, the Bill will also help move the UK away from a ‘take, make, use, throw’ system to a more circular economic model. “Our ambition is to keep resources in use for longer and ensure that we extract the maximum value we can from them.”
Image source: GettyImages/Michael_Conrad
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a public consultation on its pilot assessments of the risks posed to humans by pesticides. In particular, the consultation will look at residues of multiple pesticides present in food.
Two draft assessments will be open for comments until 15 November. One addresses chronic effects on the thyroid system, the other considers the acute effects on the nervous system.
Both are the result of a multi-year collaboration between EFSA and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment for the Netherlands (RIVM).
“The overall draft conclusion for both assessments is that consumer risk from dietary cumulative exposure is below the threshold that triggers regulatory action for all the population groups covered,” noted EFSA.
Interested parties can submit comments here.
Image source: GettyImages/fotokostic
The European Commission has published a list of 20 ‘priority pests’ that it deems pose the most serious economic, environmental and social threat to Member States.
The list is ranked in order of most severe according to assessments conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). Member States will now be required to launch information campaigns to the public, as well as annual surveys and prepare action plans in an effort to eradicate all 20 offenders.
Per the new methodology, it is estimated that the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, could cause annual losses of €5.5bn by affecting 70% of the EU production value of older olive trees and 35% value of younger ones.
The Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) also poses a threat. If this beetle spreads across the entire EU, it could result in the direct loss of over 5% of the overall growing stock of several EU forestry tree species. This include alder, ash, beech, birch, elm, and maple. The economic impact on the upstream forestry sector could reach as much as €50m.
Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, who heads up Health and Food Safety, welcomed the list’s adoption. “Plant health has been high on the agenda of my mandate over the past five years. This is why I am particularly glad to count in my legacy this prioritisation that will help the EU and Member States to increase preparedness and early actions against very dangerous plant pests and contribute to the European green deal, protecting our biodiversity, the natural ecosystems and the EU agriculture.”
The full list of pests can be found here.
Image source: GettyImages/PsymeriousPhotography
The Animal Digestible Food Packaging (ADFP) Initiative is a not-for-profit with a double agenda: to reduce food waste and combat the plastic packaging problem.
Turning food waste into animal feed is one way of tackling the food waste issue. However, as it stands, there has not yet been food packaging technology developed that meets both food safety and quality requirements, and is digestible by animals, suggests the non-profit.
ADFP aims to establish a public-private partnership to change this. And by bringing together stakeholders – such as food retailers, packaging manufacturers, producers, and government agencies – ADFP hopes to ‘advance the conversation’.
“Our vision is that animal digestible food packaging will be developed and widely used, so food waste and accompanying packaging can be diverted from landfills and become a resource as animal feed” – ADFP
Once the public-private partnership is established, ADFP will seek funding and commission research to develop new packaging materials that are animal digestible. “Once such materials are developed, partnership members would promote their widespread adoption throughout the food industry,” notes the initiative.
Image source: GettyImages/erosera
