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The 'farm to fork' strategy is about building sustainable EU food systems, in line with the EU's Green Deal. Launched in May 2020, its elements are moving at different speeds, with much debate on its objectives and priorities. The EU institutions are helping to shape the various elements of the strategy. This is an update of an 'at a glance' note first published in October 2021.

Every year, 60 million tonnes of food waste and 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste are generated in the EU. On 5 July 2023, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a targeted revision of EU waste rules. Seeking to accelerate the EU's progress towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 (halving food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030), the proposal would mean EU countries would have to reduce food waste by 10 % in processing and manufacturing, and by 30 % per capita ...

Automotive regions in transition

Briefing 27-11-2023

The European Union (EU) is facing multiple transformations relating to climate change, digitalisation and sustainable economic growth. The European Green Deal, introduced in 2019, outlines a strategy to achieve sustainability goals, including net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The 'fit for 55' package seeks to reduce emissions by at least 55 % by 2030. In order to achieve these aims, the EU has adopted regulations to incentivise the uptake of zero-emission vehicles. In April 2023, emission ...

A commitment under the EU Treaties, policy coherence for development requires the EU and its Member States to take into account the objectives of development cooperation in all their external and internal policies that are likely to affect developing countries. Managing competing objectives is a challenge. Better awareness among EU policy-makers and a streamlined action plan could help mitigate trade-offs and improve synergies.

Companies can play a key role in building a sustainable economy and society. At the same time, their global value chains can pose risks to human rights and the environment. A growing number of EU companies have taken initiatives to deploy due diligence processes, often using existing voluntary international standards on responsible business conduct. Some Member States have meanwhile started developing their own legal frameworks on corporate due diligence. In a legislative-initiative resolution adopted ...

This IA supports the proposals for a revision of the plant and forest reproductive material legislative framework. It effectively presents the need for a revision, to avoid further divergence in implementation across Member States, thus ensuring a level playing field on the EU market and availability of high-quality reproductive material adapted to align with the European Green Deals' sustainability objectives. The baseline would have benefited from a qualitative analysis of the foresight trends ...

The IA argues that existing GMO legislation is not fit for purpose for plants and their food and feed products developed using certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) and that their resulting limited uptake in the EU might lead to missed opportunities to reach the EU's sustainability objectives. It suggests four policy options (POs) in addition to the baseline and assesses their economic, environmental and social/health impacts. The assessment is predominantly qualitative and is based on the stakeholders ...

World leaders gathered for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, at a time of rising geopolitical tensions, including an ongoing war of aggression, military conflicts, coup d'états in western Africa, accelerating climate change crisis, food insecurity, widening inequality and sustainable development concerns. Against the backdrop in the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the theme chosen for this year's general debate, marking ...

In a challenging environment marked by, among other issues, climate change and environmental degradation, the European economy is undergoing significant transformations. The green transition and the move towards sustainability, including the objective of achieving climate neutrality, are affecting how people live and work and changing skills requirements. Against this background, action is needed in the education and training sector to support the green transition and develop the sustainability competences ...

This briefing provides an insight into the implications of the EU's Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Kenya – with a particular focus on the extent to which it could affect regional trade in the East African Economic Community (EAC) and the African Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It examines the new EPA and its implications in terms of its trade schemes as well as provisions in the area of sustainable development. It provides an overview of key factors that may affect regional and intra-African ...