European Union

The EU's Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy has targeted 25% of agricultural land in the EU being organically farming by 2030, a three fold increase.

Written by Clare Ferguson, Marianna Pari, Stefano Spinaci,

Within the limits of its powers, the EU has acted quickly to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences. Showing considerable flexibility, EU institutions have organised a package of measures (some already decided, others proposed or requested), to counter the crisis, drawing both on the EU budget and a wider economic package. Parliament is calling on the European Commission to propose a €2 trillion recovery package, distributed mostly through grants (over which Parliament will maintain scrutiny) rather than loans, and warns against the presentation of misleading figures. The recovery package should provide real funding to help those hardest-hit, and focus on climate mitigation, digitalisation and a new health programme. The Commission has committed to propose a comprehensive recovery plan, along with revised 2021-2027 MFF proposals, on 27 May 2020. In the meantime, France and Germany have suggested a €500 billion ‘recovery fund’.

© European Union, 2020 –European Parliament / EPRS

Read the complete briefing on ‘EU budgetary and financial response to the coronavirus crisis‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Most EU countries are now breach the common fiscal rules, as governments tackle the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The commission plans to link recovery funds to countries following its budgetary advice - but sanctions seem to be few.

The European Commission wants to cut chemical pesticides by 50 percent in the next decade - but the definitive target will be subject to the results of a risk assessment. Green NGOs have urged their full phase-out by 2035.

The European Commission could start controlling deficit and debt levels from next year, once the recession is over. But the road to balancing public accounts again will avoid the “mistakes” of the last crisis, the institution said on Wednesday (20 May). 

Air France announced on Wednesday (20 May) that it would ground its fleet of A380 super-jumbos two years ahead of schedule, in response to ongoing disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

The General Court of the European Union delivered a blow against Nord Stream AG and Nord Stream 2 AG, which own and operate a major gas pipeline between Russia's Vyborg and Germany's Lubmin. The companies disputed an amendment to an EU law on dealing with common rules for the internal market in natural gas. The court ruled against them, saying the EU law (Directive 2019/692) has no bearing on them.

A new Spanish law, which enters into force on Thursday, obliges all people older than five to wear a face mask both indoors and outside in public if social distancing of at least two metres is not possible, El País reported. Spain already required people to wear a mask on public transports during the lockdown, but the county is strengthening the rules while easing other restrictive measures.

The EU's statistical office Eurostat says annual inflation throughout EU states that use the euro as a currency dropped to 0.3 percent, down from 0.7 percent in March. The lowest annual rates were registered in Slovenia (-1.3 percent), Cyprus (-1.2 percent), Estonia and Greece (both -0.9 percent). The highest annual rates were recorded in Czechia (3.3 percent), Poland (2.9 percent) and Hungary (2.5 percent).

Keeping the trade flowing. It sounds simple enough but it is vital if Europe, and the wider world economy is to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday (20 May), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said that its goods trade...

The COVID-19 pandemic has left its mark on the EU's new food policy, as the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), presented on Wednesday (20 May), demonstrated a renewed interest in food security to ensure the supply during crises of any nature.

Last week, EU foreign ministers emphasised that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one of the Union’s strategic interests and that they discourage possible steps towards annexations. In this vein, the EU and its member states should send a clear signal, Muriel Asseburg and Peter Lintl argue.

The long-awaited EU Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy published on Wednesday (20 May) unveiled a highly anticipated 50% target for the reduction of pesticide use and risk.

The prospect of a second wave of coronavirus infection across Europe is not 'if' but 'when', according to Dr Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the agency responsible for advising governments on disease control, the Guardian reports. "The question is when and how big, that is the question in my view", she said, adding "it's not the time now to completely relax."

Nord Stream 2 v Parliament and Council
Energy
The General Court of the European Union declares that the actions brought by Nord Stream AG and Nord Stream 2 AG against Directive 2019/692, which extends certain rules of the internal market in natural gas to pipelines from third countries, are inadmissible

After several delays, the EU's new flagship food policy was finally released on Wednesday (20 May), confirming the aspiration of the EU executive to transform the European way of producing, distributing and consuming food.

One million out of eight million species globally are threatened with extinction. Find out which and how many species in Europe are endangered or extinct.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

One million out of eight million species globally are threatened with extinction. Find out which and how many species in Europe are endangered or extinct.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic has hit the European economy hard, but not equally across all countries and sectors, and the fragmentation could lead to a social crisis, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit warned on Wednesday (20 May). 

EU transport ministers agreed on Wednesday on extending the validity of certain certificates and licences in the road, rail and waterborne transport sectors, and relaxing rules on port services. "[This] will provide the flexibility and legal certainty needed to maintain our supply chains and ensure continued mobility by road, rail, sea and inland waterways, while safeguarding safety and security," said the Croatian transport minister Oleg Butković, who chaired the discussion.