Welcome to the latest edition of Brussels in Brief. The BAB team is here, we are in Brussels and we want to work on behalf of you and your members. You can find out more on what is happening in Europe at our website - BAB (britishagriculturebureau.co.uk).
EU-UK re-set
European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council, António Costa and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, met in London for the inaugural EU-UK summit. In addition to a new defence and security pact, cooperation on energy and planned actions on a youth experience scheme and touring artists, the EU and the UK will also work towards establishing a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area by way of an EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement (SPS agreement).
This would dynamically align Great Britain to applicable EU rules on sanitary, phytosanitary, food safety and general consumer protection rules applicable to the production, distribution and consumption of agrifood products, the regulation of live animals and pesticides, the rules on organics as well as marketing standards applicable to certain sectors or products. The agreement could include a short list of limited exceptions to dynamic alignment.
To ensure that it can put forward its view, the United Kingdom should be involved at an early stage in EU policy development, and the European Commission should consult the UK Government at an early stage of policy making. The United Kingdom should have appropriate access to relevant European Union agencies, systems and databases in the areas covered by the SPS Agreement. Read more here.
Revision of EU on-farm animal legislation
The Commission has published its draft timeline for revision of EU on-farm animal welfare legislation. The Commission is expected to launch its Call for Evidence shortly, with a public consultation planned for third quarter of 2025. The Commission’s proposal is tentatively expected for fourth quarter of 2026.
Austrian Government reaches agreement on animal welfare
The Austrian coalition government has reached an agreement on pig welfare following weeks of negotiations. The new compromise stipulates that husbandry on fully slatted floors will expire on 1 June 2034 – six years earlier than planned. Farms that invested in stalls of this type between 2018 and 2022 will have a longer period of 16 years to transition. The law is set to enter into force on 1 June.
CAP Simplification package
On Wednesday 14 May, the European Commission presented its third simplification package — this time focused on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) — aimed at reducing administrative burdens, easing controls, and proposing crisis response mechanisms within the framework of the 2023–2027 CAP. The proposed changes include simplified payment scheme for small farmers, simplified environmental requirements and controls, strengthened crisis management and simpler procedures for national administrations and enhanced competitiveness and digitalisation. Copa Cogeca have welcomed the proposal, outlining that it is a ‘necessary step’. The legislative proposal will now be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council for adoption.
Ukraine
The European Parliament's Committee on International Trade and Agriculture and Rural Development held discussions on the future trade relationship with Ukraine in the view of the imminent expiry of current Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs). The Commission is set to propose transitional measures through an implementing act to ensure trade can continue to flow through to the end of the year and until the DCFTA art 29 negotiations have been concluded. These measures outline the quantities for concerned product category at the level of 7/12 of the 2016DCFTA levels. These might be in place only one or two months as the Commission is confident that the negotiations will not take long to conclude.
US tariffs
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on a proposed list of US imports that could be subject to additional EU countermeasures. This initiative is intended to address the broader US tariffs regime, including universal tariffs as well as those specifically targeting cars and car parts. The previous consultation was in a response to the 25% on steel and aluminium.
EID report on Insurance and Risk Management Tools for Agriculture in the EU
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission have published a report on Insurance and Risk Management Tools for Agriculture in the EU. The report finds that climate related risks are a significant source of uncertainty for agricultural production, farm resilience, and the broader bioeconomy value chain.
EU agri-food trade kicked off 2025 with growth in exports and imports
EU exports reached €19 billion in January 2025, +1.5% on the previous month and +4% than in January 2024. EU exports to the US and Switzerland increased, while exports to China decreased. The value of exports of cocoa products and coffee increased due to increases in prices, while the value of exports of cereals decreased. EU imports were +7% compared to the previous month and reached €16 billion, 19% higher than in January 2024. This is explained by high import prices. The EU agri-food trade surplus reached €3 billion in January 2025. This is a reduction of 20% compared to the previous month and a 38% reduction compared to January 2024. Full report here.
Aid agreed across the EU
The Commission has approved a €200 million state aid scheme in Germany, supporting knowledge exchange & information activities in agriculture, to encourage more sustainable agricultural practices. The aid will promote the resilience & sustainability of production systems, contribute to climate change mitigation & adaptation, improve efficiency, & reduce negative environmental impacts of agricultural production systems. The scheme will also support biodiversity, the conservation of genetic resources, & animal welfare.
The Commission has approved a €5 billion French re-insurance scheme for export credit to the US. To be in place from 8 May 2025 - 8 July 2025, it will help exporters of wines & spirits to ship stock to the US ahead of the introduction of the new tariffs. Falling under state aid rules, the scheme involves a re-insurance mechanism, based on short-term guarantees to companies that provide insurance against a commercial &/or political risk that is related to payment obligations in an export transaction.
The BAB Bulletin is an email service offered to all members, staff and external contacts who wish to sign up. For more information on anything you have read, please visit The BAB Webpage. Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy neither BAB nor the author can accept liability for errors and omissions.
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