On Wednesday 10 December, the third round of negotiations between the Council of the EU and the European Parliament on strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain did not allow the parties to reach an agreement.
Negotiations on the common market organisation (CMO), which have stalled over the terms of written contracts and designations of meat (the end of the ‘veggie burger’ designation sought by the European Parliament), will resume in January 2026, under the Cypriot Presidency of the EU Council (see EUROPE 13751/19).
The co-legislators have nevertheless made progress on two issues: the mediation mechanism and unrecognised producer organisations (POs). A preliminary agreement has been reached on farmers’ membership of POs. The European Commission’s proposal has been adopted: a producer can only be a member of one PO for the same product, but a nuance has been introduced to take account of situations where outlets are significantly different – without destabilising existing POs – explains a European source.
Céline Imart (EPP, French), the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the dossier, confirmed that at this stage in the discussions, “two subjects still require clarification: the obligation to enter into contracts in the milk sector, and the question of meat designations. Despite efforts on both sides to create closer ties, the conditions are not yet fully ripe for finding common ground”.
The Danish Presidency of the EU Council would have liked the issue of meat designations to have been addressed as part of the 2028–2034 CAP. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)