Browse Data and Analysis

This report assesses the agricultural biotechnology sector in Belgium for plants, animals, and microorganisms. Belgium's stance on agricultural biotechnology differs between the regions of Wallonia and Flanders, with the latter being more receptive.

The European Commission requested a scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on microorganisms produced by new developments in biotechnology.

This report should be read in conjunction with the EU-27 Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) report written by the U.S. Mission to the EU. This report focuses on the import regulations and standards that are not harmonized at the EU-level or where Belgium varies.

Belgium is a Member State of the European Union (EU) and applies the certification requirements described in the European Union Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Certification Report. Products not yet harmonized are subject to Belgian national rules.

The European Union’s (EU) dairy market seems to be slowly emerging from its recent “dairy crisis,” when EU farmers were faced with overproduction and the lowest commodity prices since 2009.

On Tuesday, February 28, the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) again failed to reach a qualified majority on the proposal on endocrine disruptor (ED) criteria.