This year’s winners follow the high standards set by their predecessors and showcase sustainable and inspiring projects across the European organic value chain. The winning projects – and the people behind them- demonstrate how organic agriculture and production can create innovative value chains and generate new job opportunities in rural areas.
The winners of the edition 2024 of the EU Organic Awards are:
The European Commission launched a consultation request at the World Trade Organization (WTO), challenging China's initiation of an anti-subsidy investigation against imports of certain dairy products from the EU. This is the first time the EU has decided to challenge an investigation at its initiation stage. The EU's action was prompted by an emerging pattern of China initiating trade defence measures, based on questionable allegations and insufficient evidence, within a short period of time.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen received the final report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, handed over by the group's chair, Professor Peter Strohschneider. Entitled “A shared prospect for farming and food in Europe”, the report presents an assessment of challenges and opportunities, followed by a set of recommendations. These suggestions will guide the work of the European Commission when shaping its Vision for Agriculture and Food, to be delivered in the first 100 days of President von der Leyen's second mandate.
The European Commission launched a public consultation to gather direct input from interested stakeholders for the preparation of the Commission’s future communication and promotion campaign related to craft and industrial geographical indications. In addition, the public consultation also intends to support the Commission in better tailoring the Union’s international policy in the area of geographical indications for craft and industrial products.
The names of the finalists for the 2024 EU Organic Awards have been revealed today. For each of the eight categories, the top three projects have been selected, representing 24 finalists from 11 EU countries. The winners of the eight awards will be unveiled at the official ceremony in Brussels on 23 September, as part of a series of events and activities celebrating the annual EU Organic Day.
The EU agri-food chain Observatory (AFCO) held its first meeting on Wednesday 17 July. Its objective is to better understand the functioning of the supply chain and bring increased transparency on prices, structure of costs and distribution of margins and added value, while respecting confidentiality and competition rules. The launch of this Observatory was first announced in March 2024 as one of the measures to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain and reinforce the trust between all actors throughout the chain.
As of tomorrow, 2 July 2024, the tariff rate quotas from the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) are reintroduced for imports of eggs and sugar from Ukraine into the EU. The revised Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs), in place since 6 June 2024, includes an emergency brake for seven agricultural products to be automatically triggered if import volumes reach the average yearly imports recorded between 1 July 2021 and 31 December 2023.
Say “cheese” and Pierre Brisson is a happy man. The founder of France’s first cheese museum is passionate about the subject – and not just eating it but passing on the traditional skills of cheesemaking to future generations.
“It’s not an easy job but a marvellous one and there is a real risk that it could disappear,” he said. “I wanted to do something so people understand at what point there is an ancestral savoir faire in making cheese.
The European Commission has launched an interactive tool offering clear and comprehensible information on sustainability in agriculture. The Agri Sustainability Compass brings together 20 key indicators for the three dimensions of sustainability in agriculture and rural areas. This helps users quickly grasp the current state of agriculture’s sustainability and its evolution over time.
The European Commission has published a report outlining the good progress made so far under the EU's long-term rural vision, highlighting positive outcomes delivered since 2021 and presenting ideas for future work.