Commission sets out stance on PGI after Brexit

The European Commission has set out its position on the future of protected (PGI) products after Brexit. These include Scotch lamb, beef and salmon as well as a range of speciality foods.

The commission wants the UK Government to introduce legislation that would give these products, and 3,000-plus other PGI-type products from the EU 27, the same protection after Brexit as is the case now.

This could help ensure the future of these products in Scotland.

Meanwhile, in the Brexit negotiations, commission chief negotiator Michel Barnier said a priority must be a flexible trading border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

This is important to the farming and food industries because they have always traded on an all-island basis, and because of cross-border ownership of many processing operations.

French to target glyphosate

France has said it will seek to block the plan for a 10-year relicensing of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide.

The European Commission has said a decision must be taken on a qualified majority basis by member states before the end of the year.

The French stance reflects a shift towards greener policies in the new Emmanuel Macron government.

It has already adopted a more hostile stance towards other agrochemical products.

While France alone cannot block a decision, the big unknown is Germany.

Its views will not emerge until after elections later this month, as the Merkel government keeps potentially controversial issues off the agenda in the run-up to the vote.

The support of two big countries would not be enough to block the plan to relicense the product, but they could rally support from others.

Hogan rules out risk fund

EU Farm Commissioner Phil Hogan has ruled out the creation of a dedicated risk-management fund in the CAP budget.

This has been pressed for by a number of member states, but Mr Hogan said that even the existing crisis reserve of 400 million euros had never been fully used.

Member states can implement risk-management policies under the rural development part of the CAP, and are likely to be encouraged to do so.

This idea was initially a frontrunner in the debate on new support structures in the EU and the UK, but has now slipped down the agenda in Brussels and London.

The big challenge for the EU is how to cope with a CAP budget that will be dramatically reduced by the UK’s departure.

It contributes around 15% of the total budget.

Meanwhile, a significant number of member states have been given permission to make advance CAP payments from the middle of next month.

They will pay up to 70% of claims, but the ability to do so depends on the efficiency of computer systems.

For the second year in a row Northern Ireland will make advance payments after October 15.