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On September 13 & 14, the European Union Parliament adopted its negotiating positions on Deforestation-Free Supply Chains regulations and revisions to the Renewable Energy Directive. The two files will now enter trilogue negotiations, where the Council, Parliament, and Commission will work to reach a compromise text.

In 2021, the European Union (EU)-27 imported $7.1 billion in tree nuts from the world. The United States, with $2.5 billion, is the largest EU-27 tree nuts supplier, accounting for 35 percent of total imports.

Forced by record high feed and energy prices and tightening environmental restrictions, EU cattle and swine farmers are scaling back production. High carcass prices have encouraged cattle farmers to advance the slaughter of their herds, but lower slaughter weights will put pressure on overall beef production this year.

On August 3-5, 2022, the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) presented the 2022 EU apple and pear crop forecast at the 47th edition of the Prognosfruit convention. WAPA forecasts the 2022 EU fresh apples crop at 12.2 million metric tons (MT), 1.3 percent above the 2021 harvest and nine percent higher than the average of the preceding three years.

The revised EU27 sugar production forecast for market year (MY) 2021/22 is 16.6 million metric tons (MMT) in Raw Sugar Equivalents (RSE) as it suffered less from beet yellows virus (BYV) disease than the MY 2020/21 production.

On October 1, 2021, the European Commission published a roadmap outlining its intention to propose legally binding food waste reduction targets in the European Union, as part of its Farm to Fork Strategy. Stakeholders can comment on the roadmap until October 29, 2021.

On September 29, 2021, the European Commission published a roadmap outlining its intention to publish a Communication on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics.

After two decades of growth, EU chicken meat production is expected to decline by almost 1 percent in 2021 due to HPAI outbreaks and the ongoing impact of COVID-19.

On September 29, 2021, the European Commission launched five “EU missions” to address climate and sustainability issues through funding of research and development.

On September 28, 2021, the European Commission published a roadmap outlining a new regulation being developed to increase the sustainability of all foods placed on the EU market.

This report provides an overview of EU food and feed legislation currently in force for the EU. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) staff reviewed and updated all sections of this annual report.

On September 24, 2021, the European Commission published its roadmap to develop a legislative initiative for plants produced by certain genome editing techniques.