Browse Data and Analysis

On February 15, 2023, Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/334 amending Annexes II and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 lowering the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for clothianidin and thiamethoxam in or on certain products was published in the Official Journal (OJ).

High feed and energy prices and environmental restrictions are pressuring both cattle and swine farmers in the European Union (EU), leading to a reduction in operations.

U.S. beef exports under the EU High Quality Beef (HQB) quota increased by over 2,000 metric tons (MT) in 2022, to 13,438 MT. The quota usage rate increased to 52.9 percent, up from 50.1 percent in 2021, despite an increase in the quota from 23,000 MT in 2021 to 25,400 MT in 2022.

On February 22, 2022, the European Commission (EC) approved two genetically engineered (GE) crops (1 soybean and 1 oilseed rape) for food and animal feed. The two authorizations were published in the European Union’s Official Journal on February 24, 2022, and they remain valid for 10 years.

Despite the increasing costs of production and ongoing HPAI outbreaks, EU chicken meat production is expected to remain stable in 2023. With the easing of COVID restrictions, EU domestic consumption is forecast to increase by 1.4 percent in 2023 following the 1.2 percent growth in 2022.

This guide provides an overview of health certificates needed for exporting plants, animals, foods, and other animal origin products to the European Union. U.S. regulatory agencies have been informed of the wide range of certificates changes that have occurred in the past months and have updated their export manuals to reflect those changes.

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.

After an EU-wide drought in 2022, the EU27 dairy herd is forecast to drop below 20 million head in 2023. This will lead to a continued decrease in milk production and deliveries for factory use despite higher farm gate milk prices. As EU dairy processors continue to favor cheese production, the decrease in milk deliveries will be at the expense of butter and non-fat dry milk (NFDM), and, to a lower extent, lower whole milk powder (WMP) production, despite high world market prices.

This report updates several sections of the European Union’s “Oilseeds and Products Annual” report released in April 2022. Updated sections include soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower. Increased areas of about 10 percent for all three major oilseeds but lower average yields for sunflower, and rapeseed are forecast to result in a total of about 3 percent higher production in MY 2022/23.

Total EU27 sugar production for MY 2022/23 is forecast at 16 million metric tons (MMT), a decrease of 330,000 metric tons (MT) from MY 2021/22. This is the fifth consecutive year that the EU internal sugar production cannot meet domestic sugar consumption.

The European Union (EU) follows a complex, rolling system of review for active ingredients and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. For agricultural inputs, U.S. farmers must know early in the process of review to prevent or mitigate the loss of, and/or access to, chemical inputs.

One of the goals of the EU’s Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy is to enhance the EU’s animal welfare legislation. The enforcement of existing legislation on animal welfare during transport has proven difficult in past years.