European Union - Slow Food International

Slow Food EU’s Impact in 2021: Let’s Rewind!

15 December 2021

Every day, Slow Food Europe advocates for Good, Clean and Fair Food for All on the EU stage, and it pays off! 2021 was an eventful year for EU food policies! Two major battles were won in the EU institutional arena: the European Commission committed to take actions towards a ban of cages for farmed …

Reality Check: Can the EU Meet Its Pesticide Reduction Targets?

10 August 2020 Indre Anskaityte, Madeleine Coste

Despite the European Union recently launching the new Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies with a set of ambitious pesticide reduction targets, a real prospect for change remains vague as, until now, the EU has been failing to meet its commitments in terms of pesticide use. A recent report by the European Court of Auditors …

The UK Launches New Obesity Strategy: How Does it Compare with Measures Elsewhere?

3 August 2020 Madeleine Coste

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Kingdom has launched a new Obesity strategy to fight the rising child and adult obesity problem in the country. Meanwhile, the European Union with its new Farm to Fork Strategy also has included the aim to reverse the rise in overweight and obesity rates across the EU. As global …

The Protection of Pollinators in the EU Likely to Be Jeopardized

17 July 2020 Indre Anskaityte

On July 16 and 17, a standing committee meeting on phytopharmaceutical products has gathered in Brussels to decide on the future of the so-called EFSA Bee Guidance Document, which is intended to protect honeybees, bumblebees and wild bees against the toxicity of pesticides. Leaked documents obtained by Pesticide Action Network – PAN Europe, indicate that …

Germany Pressured to Address the CAP Reform and Trade Agreements During its EU Council Presidency

1 July 2020

Shortly before the start of the German EU Council Presidency, numerous people and civil society have demonstrated in Berlin demanding the government to address the most pressing issues such as controversial trade agreements and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform. Today, Germany is taking over the rotating EU Council Presidency from Croatia, naming EU Green …

Slow Food Brings Farmers and EU Officials to Discuss How to Make EU Strategies Work in the Fields

30 June 2020 Indre Anskaityte

With the EU Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies finally out, Slow Food Europe organized an online roundtable discussion on how these strategies can drive the transition towards sustainable and agrobiodiverse farming. Slow Food wishes to contribute to reaching the goals outlined in the strategies and believes this can only be done by engaging in …

What Lies Ahead for the EU’s Food and Farming Systems After Covid-19?

25 June 2020 Indre Anskaityte

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted many business sectors, and agriculture and food production aren’t an exception. This week, Slow Food president Carlo Petrini, European Commission’s Vice President Frans Timmermans, responsible for the European Green Deal, and Dacian Cioloş, president of Renew Europe, the third biggest political group in the European Parliament, participated in an online …

EU’s Common Agricultural Policy: Key Things You Should Know

24 June 2020 Indre Anskaityte, Yael Pantzer

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one of the oldest EU’s policies. After more than a decade of post-World War II food shortages and hunger, it was introduced in 1962 to increase agricultural production, ensure food security, protect farmers’ quality of life and stabilize markets while maintaining reasonable prices for consumers. Today, the CAP amounts …

Civil Society Asks for the CAP that Protects Climate and Environment

2 June 2020

The negotiations of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are underway with the final vote expected to be held in Autumn. The new CAP will determine the EU’s agricultural policies for the upcoming seven years. With the new Commission aiming to build a sustainable future for Europe, the European Parliament is under pressure to reshape the …

The New Farm to Fork Strategy: the Key Things Every European Needs to Know

29 May 2020

Last week, the European Commission published the long-awaited Farm to Fork Strategy. The strategy, part of the European Green Deal – the most environmentally ambitious legislation proposal of the new Commission, which started its five-year term in December last year. The Strategy aims to make the European food system more sustainable across different dimensions and …