6 things to watch in food and agriculture this autumn

Glyphosate, food labeling and fish quotas are on the agenda.

Glyphosate decision: By the beginning of November, Europe will decide whether to renew the license for glyphosate. As the world’s most commonly used weedkiller, the stakes could not be higher for companies like the American agrichemical giant Monsanto, the subject of a takeover bid from Germany’s Bayer in a €66 billion deal. The European Commission has already proposed a 10-year renewal for the pesticide. However, many member countries have yet to adopt a position on the matter, meaning the Commission’s attempt to achieve a qualified majority of countries supporting the proposal hangs in the balance.

Endocrine disrupters: Before the summer, EU countries adopted new criteria regulating the use in pesticides of endocrine disrupters, substances that disrupt human hormones. After the August break, legislators will begin discussions on adopting a separate exemption from the criteria that would place more weight on scientific evidence and human exposure when seeking to ban a chemical from the market. But there is a bitter debate over how to do this. The pesticide industry argues that the current text downplays the importance of scientific evidence, while opponents say the Commission’s plan does not go far enough to minimize harm from the chemicals.

CAP reform: This is probably the biggest legislative dossier on the table. While an official proposal will not be presented until 2018, the European Commission will likely come forward with a so-called communication document on how it plans to reform the Common Agricultural Policy before the end of the year. Farmers and environmentalists are braced to see how far the Commission will dare to go in making CAP payments more conditional on protecting the environment. Some have already speculated that the current two-pillar funding structure could be demolished to protect biodiversity, lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve the health of the EU’s waterways.

Colorful labeling report: Brussels will publish a report on colorful, expressive food labels by December. It will be decisive in settling a growing rift over how to make food labels promote better eating habits. Britain fired up the divide in 2013 with a plan that slaps red labels on products with high levels of salt, sugar and fat, a move France said it would mimic. The move generated fierce backlash from food industry lobbies and Italy, which said the labels harmed internal-market trade and penalized traditional Mediterranean fare such as fatty olive oil and cheese. Informally, Brussels is awaiting the report before deciding on the labeling’s legality.

Fishing quotas: In September, EU countries begin negotiations for fishing quotas in most of Europe’s seas. Fishermen will gather in a Brussels hotel as fisheries ministers convene at the Council to decide who has the right to catch certain species in which waters. As one of the most integrated policies in the bloc, each country goes into the meetings with a list of must-haves, would-likes and negotiable items. How to manage fish stocks in the North Sea in the aftermath of Brexit will overshadow negotiations. Talks will continue until December.

Ending fish subsidies: Members of the World Trade Organization will decide on the best way to end government subsidies for the fishing industry. The group will prepare a so-called collective document that takes into consideration proposals submitted from countries throughout the year, including one from the European Union. Brussels is pushing for stringent rules on how countries can aid their fleets, including for developing nations. States have been working to end fish subsidies since 2001. Delegates hope to reach an agreement before the 11th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Buenos Aires in December.

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