Commission proposes €540 million for fertiliser support 

The Commission has announced an aid package of €540 million for EU farmers facing high fertiliser prices. Member States will be able to top it up by up to 200% of national funds, bringing the total available financial support to a potential total of €1.5 billion. The Commission also announced the introduction of a new liquidity scheme under the CAP and the possibility to bring CAP payments forward.

CBAM safeguard for fertilisers

EU Finance Ministers have adopted their General Approach on the Commission’s proposal to strengthen the CBAM. Under the agreed approach, the safeguard would only be activated if imported fertiliser prices, excluding the CBAM financial liability itself, increase by more than 50% compared with the average of the previous ten years. The Council has also refined the list of applicable  downstream products to prevent leakage. 

Council fails to reach agreement on omnibus

The Council failed to agree on a position on parts of the  food and feed simplification package concerning PPP renewals and maximum residue levels for imported goods entering the EU. The package now moves to further negotiations under the Irish presidency from July. MEPs are still in the early stages of their own discussions, with a vote expected in October. The Council have already reached an agreement on other parts of the file including drones; record-keeping requirements for animals and plastic.

Denmark scraps agriculture minister title

The new Danish government will not have a minister dedicated to food and agriculture. Those policy files will now fall into the portfolio of the newly named nature and animal welfare minister. This follows the releases of a manifesto published by the government detailing a significant overhaul in the farming sector. The government also plans to reform the pig sector with proposals to reduce exports, end long-distance live pig movements, end tail docking and confinement, and give the pigs more space.

Foot and mouth disease in Cyprus and Greece

The FMD outbreak in Cyprus has stabilised over the last couple of weeks , with 120 confirmed cases. 80,000 animals have been culled. In Greece 118 outbreaks have been reported, an increase of 12 cases compared to the previous week. The outbreaks remain on the island of Lesvos. The current daily rate of positive tests is 11.63%.

African swine fever outbreaks in Hungary and Croatia

Hungarian authorities have confirmed ASF in a domestic pig herd in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. This is the first time the virus has been detected in domestic pigs in Hungary. 3,000 pigs will be culled.  Croatia has also reported an ASF outbreak on a commercial farm in Ivanovo, in the eastern part of the country along the border with Hungary.

FAO report on ‘The Future of Antimicrobial Use in Livestock’

The FAO has published a report outlining that taking no action on antimicrobial resistance in livestock is far more expensive in the long run than acting now. The use of antibiotics in livestock is projected to increase by 30% by 2040, compared with 2019.  Early action can help manage transition costs.  Delayed action increases the risk of greater  losses from antimicrobial resistance. 

WOAH report – ‘The State of the World’s Animal Health’

The annual WOAH report that provides a clear, evidence-based overview of the global animal health landscape, outlines that over 20% of global animal production is lost to preventable disease every year. Bringing Veterinary Services worldwide up to international standards would cost approximately US$ 2.3 billion per year. This is less than 0.05% of what COVID-19 cost in a single year.