European Union governments are trying to raise a planned limit on the use of transport fuels made from food crops, despite warnings that the fuels can harm the environment and push up food prices. Last year in response to such warnings, the European Commission, the EU executive, proposed capping the bloc’s use of crop-based biofuels
Governments seek to raise EU cap on food-based biofuels
U.S. GM wheat find threatens exports, stokes consumer fear
Unapproved genetically modified (GM) wheat found growing in the United States is threatening U.S. exports of the world’s biggest traded food commodity, with Japan stopping a purchase against a backdrop of high consumer sensitivity to gene-altered food. Japan cancelled a tender offer to buy U.S. western white wheat, while other top Asian wheat importers South
EU to ban pesticides blamed for bee losses
The European Union will ban three of the world’s most widely-used pesticides for two years because of fears they are linked to a plunge in the population of bees critical to the production of crops. The executive European Commission said Monday it would press ahead with the ban on a class of pesticides known as
France tops EU for levels of horsemeat found in beef products
France found more cases of illegal horsemeat in beef products than any other European Union country, results of official DNA tests ordered in the wake of the scandal showed, with more than one in every eight samples testing positive. Announcing the results April 16, the European Commission said that for the EU as a whole,
France tops EU DNA tests for horsemeat in beef
France found more cases of illegal horsemeat in beef products than any other European Union country, results of official DNA tests ordered in the wake of the scandal showed, with more than one in every eight samples testing positive. Announcing the results on Tuesday, the European Commission said that for the EU as a whole,
EU member states say biofuels limit needs more thought
Reuters / Limits must be imposed on the use of biofuels made from food crops, leading EU member states France and Britain said Feb. 22, while questioning the detail of a EU Commission proposal for a five per cent cap. Concern that some biofuels create more problems than they solve led to a major policy
Farm subsidies still get top share of EU austerity budget
France and other major farming nations thwarted attempts to shift farm spending to growth and jobs
Farm subsidies will continue to gobble up the biggest share of the European Union’s budget to 2020, despite a 13 per cent drop in future agricultural spending, under a deal struck by EU leaders Feb. 8. Agriculture’s budget supremacy was secured after France and other major farming nations thwarted attempts by Britain and its northernHorsemeat scandal to spur tougher EU food tests
The European Commission has proposed increased DNA testing of meat products to assess the scale of a scandal involving horsemeat sold as beef that has shocked the public and raised concern over the continent’s food supply chains. "The tests will be on DNA in meat products in all member states," European Union health commissioner Tonio
EU farm subsidy reforms cut payments to the wealthiest farms
Europe’s wealthiest landowners, including Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Spain’s Duchess of Alba, will see deep cuts to their future farm subsidies under proposals from members of the European Parliament Jan. 23. Annual payments to the top recipients of agricultural subsidies should be capped at 300,000 euros from 2014, the European Parliament’s influential agriculture committee said.
EU approves Morocco agriculture trade deal
European Union lawmakers approved a new trade deal with Morocco Feb. 16 that will significantly extend duty-free sales of agricultural, food and fisheries products between the North African kingdom and the 27-nation bloc. The EU’s agriculture chief, Dacian Ciolos, described the deal as both economically and politically significant. “It is a balanced agreement, which opens
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