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French Constitutional Council ratifies pesticides export ban

The Constitutional Council of France on January 31 ratified the legal veto on the production, storage, circulation and export of products containing active substances that have not been approved by the European Union (EU). The ruling resulted…

European Commission bans Romania and Lithuania from using bee-killing pesticides

The European Commission (EC) adopted on Monday, February 3, two decisions that prohibit Romania and Lithuania from allowing their farmers to use pesticides that are harmful to bees. The EC’s decision came two weeks after Romania’s Agriculture…

Austrian leader blocks ban on glyphosate, citing technicality

Austria’s caretaker leader on Monday made clear she would not sign into law the European Union’s first national ban on the weedkiller glyphosate due to a technicality, infuriating environmentalists while delighting farmers’ groups. A…
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Russia faces threat of longer European tariffs on fertilizer

The European Union may renew quarter-century-old trade protection on Russian ammonium nitrate, risking a backlash from EU farmers opposed to the import curbs. The European Commission began a probe into whether to reimpose tariffs on the fertilizer…

European Parliament elects new Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

The European Parliament’s 20 standing Committees and two Sub-Committees have elected their chair and vice-chairs. Voting took place on July 10 and those holding the positions will now coordinate their respective committees for the next…

EFSA issued work plan to review guidance on bees and pesticides

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has outlined how it plans to review its guidance on the risk assessment of pesticides and bees in the EU. As the outline shows, stakeholders and pesticide experts from Member States will be consulted…

Government rejects vote to ban synthetic pesticides in Switzerland

In February 2019, an initiative to ban the use of synthetic pesticides in Switzerland collected enough signatures to run a referendum entitled: For a Switzerland free of synthetic pesticides. The initiative would ban the use of all synthetic…

Austria moves to ban glyphosate this year

Austria is heading toward a likely ban of glyphosate this year after the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) backed the Social Democrats' drive to end usage of the controversial weedkiller. "There are enough studies that adequately demonstrate…

European investment bank announces EUR 2 billion fund to finance agriculture

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU bank, announced recently the launch of a loans package of nearly EUR 1 billion for agriculture and the bioeconomy. The sum will be matched by the implementing financial institutions, thereby mobilizing…