Press Releases

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC acknowledge progress by the European Parliament’s decision in favour of the Regulation on New Genomic Techniques and remain committed to supporting further improvement of the text

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A new European Court of Auditors report shows the risks of relying only on electric vehicles for the future of road transport. As EU Biofuels Chain members write, Europe needs to be more open to a range of technologies.

The EU Biofuels Chain includes the following associations: CEFS (sugar manufacturers); CEPM (the maize chain); C.I.B.E. (sugar beet growers); COCERAL (trade in cereals, oilseeds, pulses, olive oil, oils and fats); Copa and Cogeca (farmers and agri-cooperatives); EBB (European Biodiesel Board); EOA (European Oilseed Alliance); ePURE (European renewable ethanol association); and FEDIOL (vegetable oil and protein meal industry).

COCERAL and FEDIOL release statement on the newly - released European Commission proposal on New Genomic Techniques.

Brussels, June 12, 2023 – COCERAL, the European association representing the collectors, distributors, exporters, importers and agribulk storers of agricultural commodities as well as agrosupply, elected during its General Assembly its President, two Vice-Presidents and Treasurer. 

The new President, Ted Swinkels, has been working for Cefetra for over 20 years and has been fulfilling the role of Managing Director for the last 7 years. Cefetra supply agricultural raw materials to the animal nutrition, food ingredients and energy industries. It is part of the German Baywa Group. Giorgio Dalla Bona, CEO at Cereal Docks International, was re-elected Vice-President after completing a four-year term. Cereal Docks is in grain & oilseeds trading and has a crushing facility in Italy. COCERAL’s new Vice-President Oriol Serrahima is Cargill's Managing Director for grains in EMEA. Cargill works closely with farmers, customers, governments and communities to provide food, agriculture, financial and industrial products to the world.

Jean-Paul Schepens, the Treasurer, is the owner and CEO of Schepens & co, a trading house based in Antwerp specialised in rice, coffee, and other commodities. 

The newly elected Officers expressed their commitment in supporting COCERAL’s activities and represent the interests of all its members with policy makers. 

Brussels, 17 May 2023 – There have been several rumours that crops of inferior quality have been placed on the EU market. COCERAL members, which trade agricultural raw materials destined to the supply of the food and feed chains, as well as for technical and energy uses, are vigilant when receiving shipments whether the goods are originated from EU member countries or from import.

Commodities placed on the EU market must respect the high safety standards established in the EU legislation and COCERAL members are fully committed to ensure this compliance.

All consignments from any origin are tested and our members reject any cargoes that could potentially have a negative impact on human and animal health. This strict process is part of the daily practice that COCERAL’s traders have in place under their risk assessment and risk management responsibilities.

COCERAL has recently gave support and perspectives on a joint, multi-stakeholder letter (31 partners), regarding the upcoming framework legislation for Sustainable Food Systems (SFS).

Among the concerns raised in the letter:

• the vagueness of the legislation aim, according to the info shared so far by the Commission. Definitions are welcome, but principles and objectives are not clear. Constructive collaboration is welcome.
• Policy coherence and interdisciplinary approach are not always present.
• Availability and affordability of food (how to solve the trade-off between food sustainability and food security) must form part of the framework.
• Global world and international aspects of trade – the legislation must fly at the international level.

The letter was also discussed during the Advisory Group on Sustainable Food Systems (AGSFS) on 12 May, at the DG SANTE premises,  with the Commission Officials in charge  for Food Sustainability. On this occasion, the Commission made clear that the regulatory framework for SFS will follow the General Food Law on Food Safety (Reg. (EU) 178/2002) blueprint,  with a general legislation and then more detailed implementing regulations to come.

In terms of regulatory timeline on a legislative Framework for Sustainable Food Systems, as per the “Farm to Fork” Strategy Action Plan:

-              The Impact Assessment is ongoing, after a negative opinion from the Regulatory Scrutiny Board- this however will not require additional (research of) data.

-              There are gaps of the law in particular on the internal market dimension. Whenever national legislations have emerged in the meantime, they must be put under the EU framework.

-              Definitions will be there along with Principles that should guide the revision of topical sectoral legislations.

-              Meeting with stakeholders will be scheduled at a later stage, to get input on the legal proposal (possibly, end of June)

-              The Regulation will be published in September.

Coceral has participated in the Impact assessment study of the Commission, and has stressed since the beginning the need to work on policy coherence at the international level

Coceral, in a joint statement with 20 stakeholders active at the EU level, has delivered a letter on the evolutionary legislation on New Genomic Techniques. The new legislative framework is expected to be unveiled in late June, according to the latest information available, and some political choices must still be made, including on traceability and transparency of “conventional-like” NGTs.

In our perspective, it is important not imposing traceability, labelling, and coexistence measures  that place specific obligations on farmers growing conventional-like NGT varieties. This is  specifically important in the global context, considering the trade-related challenges that might  arise in case the EU's approach would not align with the enabling policies increasingly being adopted by Europe’s trade partners.

In addition, Imposing extra-requirements (traceability, segregation and labelling) to conventional-like NGTs products would be discriminatory, not proportionate and not science-based.

Eventually in a market-oriented, consumer-driven food value chain, freedom of choice means that legitimate production choices have economic consequences, i.e., food business operators have to bear the costs for the benefits they (can) get:  transparency, traceability and segregation should reflect this baseline principle. This assumption, so far has well governed the relationship between conventional and premium price/niche markets, including the organic sector, and should remain in place.

Brussels, 25 April 2023 - COCERAL, FEDIOL, and FEFAC, representing the EU grain and oilseed trade, the industry crushing oilseeds, refining vegetable oils and the animal feed industry, support the JURI committee’s effort to improve consistency of the CSDDD with the principles and language of UN and OECD due diligence guidelines. However, other elements may be detrimental to trade and supply chains without added value to addressing harmful human rights and environmental impacts.

Brussels, 19 April 2023 – Following the formal approval of the Deforestation-free Commodities Regulation, COCERAL, FEDIOL, and FEFAC call on the European Commission and Member States to work with stakeholders to facilitate the implementation of the Regulation. Many implementation challenges remain unaddressed and will require multistakeholder collaboration, involving the European Commission, Member States, and producing country government and stakeholders. Furthermore, uncertainties around how the provisions translate in practice should be addressed as soon as possible to allow supply chain actors to prepare for implementation.

Brussels, Belgium - February 24th marks the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As the war still rages, it has been a year of devastation for the people living there. We wish to express our sympathy on this anniversary and stand in solidarity with those who are still suffering.
Despite the ongoing crisis, the farming community and actors in the agri trade supply chain have been working hard to continue agricultural activities and trade. The grain trade community represented in COCERAL expresses its continued support to them and commends their resilience and determination.

We also thank the EU Commission for its support, which has been instrumental in addressing border issues, and in particular all Commission officials who worked hand in hand with COCERAL members to find alternatives to the access by sea, thus building the solidarity lanes to improve access by land.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement was one of those diplomatic positive notes. However, exports of grain from Ukraine are still hindered by extremely long waiting times in the Bosphorus passage, and we call on the UN and Turkey to see that this agreement be improved when it is renewed next month so that waiting time be reduced, in particular for the smaller vessels that serve those countries most in need for grains.

The European Parliament and the Council concluded, last night, trilogue negotiations on the EU Deforestation Regulation. COCERAL, FEDIOL, and FEFAC, acknowledge the efforts to swiftly strike a deal and set an ambitious EU framework that will prevent commodities associated with deforestation to be marketed in the EU. An EU regulation tackling deforestation is a necessary initiative which should give a strong signal to players and governments around the world.

"On occasion of the Agri-Food Chain Coalition event at the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Marlene Mortler, COCERAL is eager to share the Joint Statement about “Strengthening food systems resilience and autonomy in time of crisis”

The Agri-Food Chain Coalition (AFCC) is a joint initiative representing 12 associations across the agri-food system. Members represent European farmers, cooperatives, and companies from the agriculture and livestock sector, farm equipment, plant and animal breeders, fertilisers, crop protection, animal health, feed, biotechnology-based products, and the agricultural trade.

Geopolitical volatility, and in particular the war in Ukraine, greatly impact food security and affordability worldwide. In combination with climate change, this quickly has become a legitimate concern, threatening the resilience of EU food production by jeopardising access to affordable food for many of our fellow citizens.

The EU agri-food supply chain is facing unique challenges, as a result of the rising prices and scarcity of energy and other essential inputs needed to guarantee food autonomy, leading to a compromised food supply chain in the EU, and negatively impacting rural and coastal communities.”

Brussels, 29 November 2022 – COCERAL, the European association of trade in cereals, oilseeds, rice, pulses, olive oil, oils and fats, animal feed and agrosupply, welcomes the recent extension of the Black Sea Corridor for another 120 days under the same provisions as agreed by the parties to the Initiative. The Black Sea Corridor has been essential in guaranteeing global food security.

However, COCERAL and its members express concern as regards to the long-term possibility of providing Ukrainian grain and oilseeds to the world market. A major escalation of the war on Wednesday 23^rd November, as Russia fired over 70 cruise missiles across the country, caused major damage to infrastructure. This left over half the country without power, which resulted in ports becoming inoperable, including those on the Danube River. Continuous attacks on infrastructure are impacting the viability of grain exports and could result in increased shortages and food prices.

Furthermore, COCERAL and its members have been observing increasing delays in inspections by the Joint Coordination Centre, with reports of waiting times of up to 40 days. The cost of these delays is unfortunately going back upstream on the Ukrainian supply chain and forces Ukrainian farmers to sell their products at discounted prices. As such, COCERAL and its members calls for more transparency in the inspections, such as publication of data on inbound vessels and clarification on the rules on the prioritisation of vessels.

Congestion in the Black Sea Corridor and ongoing strikes on the Ukrainian infrastructure, notably on terminals and silos, brings further pressure on food security globally. COCERAL calls on the UN the Joint Coordination Centre and the EU institutions to further examine solutions to alleviate the strains on the export of grain and oilseed.

27 stakeholders along the Food&Feed Chain Coalition have co-signed a Letter on New Genomic Techniques, that has been eventually shared with the relevant Commission’s services today. This exercise addressed Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the Commission and with coverage of the Green Deal; Stella Kyriakides, Health Commissioner in charge of the Farm to Fork; and Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner for Agriculture.

The stakeholders ask the Commission to quickly deliver a proper regulation on New Genomic Techniques, to help matching the challenges under the Farm to Fork, while increasing the resilience of food security in the EU.

Brussels, 13 September 2022 - Following the European Parliament’s plenary vote on the Deforestation Regulation, COCERAL, FEDIOL, and FEFAC regret that the outcome falls short of the ambition to tackle global deforestation and risks fuelling supply chain shortages and price inflation in the EU.

Furthermore, the approach taken by the European Parliament disincentivises action against deforestation globally and particularly in high-risk areas due to:

• The requirement of traceability to plot, which is currently not feasible for many smallholders and risks causing their exclusion from supply chains. 
• The country benchmarking system, which will lead companies to source away from high-risk areas as part of their risk avoidance strategy.

The lack of alternatives to traceability to plot for soy and palm products in combination with some of the trade disruptive measures adopted by the European Parliament will most likely affect the availability of these commodities in the EU and thereby contribute to inflationary pressures on these commodities and the food and non-food products that contain them.

Given that the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council have not sufficiently considered the practical challenges operators and their suppliers will face when it comes to the proposed traceability and chain of custody requirements, we urge all three institutions to work with supply chain actors to identify solutions to minimise all the foreseen negative impacts. We also stress the need for pilot programmes to test the implementation of the proposed requirements across relevant countries in order to identify appropriate solutions against the practical challenges we have previously highlighted.

We continue to strive for a Regulation that will work in practice and remain open and available for further dialogue during the trialogue discussions.

Brussels, 13 July 2022 - Following the vote in the ENVI committee on the Regulation for Deforestation-free commodities, COCERAL, FEDIOL, and FEFAC support the stronger role that the committee has given to partnerships between EU and producing countries facilitating the implementation of the requirements of the Regulation. This will be crucial to enhance traceability, as many obstacles will need to be removed, which can only happen if the Commission, Member States, producing country governments (including regional and local authorities), operators, smallholders and other local economic actors in the supply chain, and NGOs work together in synergy.

Brussels, 29 June 2022 - Following the adoption of the General Approach of the Council on the EC proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products during the Environment Council meeting of 28 June, COCERAL, FEDIOL, and FEFAC welcome certain elements like the Council’s move to avoid duplication of due diligence but are concerned that no significant changes have been put forward on traceability, cooperation with third countries, and chain of custody.

Brussels, 23 May 2022 - COCERAL, the European association of trade in cereals, oilseeds, rice, pulses, olive oil, oils and fats, animal feed and agrosupply, published today the report on its mycotoxins survey from 2021.

Brussels, 4 March 2022 -COCERAL and our members are profoundly affected by the war raging in Ukraine and the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in the country due to the Russian Federation's unprovoked invasion.

Brussels, 2 March 2022 - COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC share their deep sorrow with the Ukrainian people, as the humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in the country and the Russian Federation continues its unprovoked invasion of a sovereign state.

Companies in our sectors across the board are taking steps to ensure the security of their employees on the ground and seek to help where they can. They also have to continue honouring their contracts, conscious that the importance of Ukraine’s supply of agricultural raw materials and ingredients to the EU is such, that our inability to import from that country will create severe shortages, both for the feed and food industries.

The Black Sea region represents an important supply of grains and oilseed products for the world market. Ukraine in particular exports about 60 million tonnes of grain to the world. It was expected in the current marketing year that Ukraine would export about 33 million tonnes of corn and 24 million tonnes of wheat. For Europe, maize represents the main imported product from Ukraine with a yearly average of 11 million tonnes, but also other commodities such as sunflower oil, with about 2 million tonnes.

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC consider essential to address immediate practical issues for the vessels arriving in Europe from Ukraine, to anticipate potential adverse impacts for the food and feed supply chains and stress the urgent need to set up contingency plans that will help mitigate the loss of the Black Sea origin for these commodities.

Brussels, 16 February 2022 - COCERAL, FEDIOL, and FEFAC, representing the EU grain and oilseed trade, crushing and animal feed industry, support the EU’s ambition to halt deforestation and only allow imports of deforestation-free products in Europe. For the EU framework to also achieve sustainable transformation in the countries of origin, it requires putting in place tools and processes that are practicable for the whole food and feed supply chain, from the site of production to the market of destination. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Tools and processes will have to be adapted to the supply chain models of the different commodities concerned.

Brussels, 27 January 2022 - With the Farm to Fork deadline looming in 8 years’ time and no comprehensive impact assessment in sight, we must build solution-oriented policies, based on the available data we have at hand, with innovation as their cornerstone.

European agri-food production is among the most resource-efficient and sustainable in the world. The European farming sector believes that, with innovation and further support at the forefront of EU agricultural policy, farmers will and can continue to produce in an even more sustainable manner. We acknowledge the expectations of society and policymakers for food production systems and believe that innovation is key in the sustainable  transition outlined by the Farm to Fork Strategy. But innovation cannot happen without the necessary legislative and financial support. The agri-food sector calls on European policymakers to enable innovation as a driver of its Farm to Fork targets.

Brussels, 17 November 2021 – The European Commission released today its proposal for a Regulation covering certain commodities associated with deforestation, demonstrating that Europe is serious about fighting the issue. COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC, together representing the EU grain and oilseed trade, crushing and animal feed industry, support the EU Commission’s ambition in taking a leading role in the fight against deforestation.

Brussels, 20 October 2021 - Yesterday, the European Parliament voted on its Farm to Fork own initiative report. Food chain actors acknowledge the signal sent by this vote but regret the climate in which the vote took place. We talked about everything but the actual means and solutions when it comes to addressing the multiple blind spots this strategy has created.  

Food chain actors all agree with the main goals set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy, we know that changes are necessary, and we remain committed to playing our part in the path towards a transition to a more sustainable food system. Indeed we are already all working in that direction. What we are currently lacking however is new tools and a clearer roadmap. The 2030 deadline is looming, and changes cannot be assimilated overnight.

We are now waiting for concrete proposals from the Commission, especially on the blind spots identified in the ongoing debate such as on the effects of carbon leakage, European strategic autonomy, or consumer prices. With this in mind we also welcome the clear signal sent by the Parliament calling on the European Commission to prepare a comprehensive impact assessment evaluating the impact of its strategy. The data overview presented by the Commission earlier this week1 would be a great starting point for such a study.

Brussels, 12 October 2021 - Food chain actors all agree with the main principles set out in the Farm to Fork strategy and are fully aware that constant and substantial improvement must be made to ensure a more sustainable approach to our food systems. Nevertheless, several recently published studies on the Farm to Fork strategy indicate that the current targets, if implemented as proposed, will come at a considerable cost for EU farmers and the viability of the entire European agribusiness sector.

The time for political messages about the Farm to Fork strategy has passed. It is now time to analyse the data that is currently available. In recent months, several key reports and studies have tried to assess and measure the impacts of the targets set by the European Commission when they presented the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies in May 2020.

Berlin, 13 September 2021. The measures proposed by the European Commission in the European Green Deal’s Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity strategies will, if fully implemented, lead to a significant drop in agricultural production in the EU. For cereals, oilseeds and beef, the reduction will be around 20 percent. In parallel, prices will rise for agricultural products in the European Union (EU), including an increase of nearly 60 per cent for beef, around 50 per cent for pork, over 30 per cent for unpasteurised milk, as well as between 10 and 20 per cent
higher prices for fruits and vegetables, oilseeds and cereals. Those are the conclusions of an impact assessment study, published today on behalf of the Grain Club alliance and other associations, and drawn up by Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Henning, Professor of Agricultural Policy and Director of the Institute of Agricultural Economics at Kiel University.

Brussels, 7 September 2021 - On Thursday, the ENVI and AGRI Committees of the European Parliament will vote on their draft report presenting their official reaction to the Farm to Fork strategy. While the first studies on the impact of the strategy launched by the Commission in 2020 show extremely worrisome trends, MEPs are planning to call for several additional objectives and targets for the Commission Strategy that would be simply untenable for the EU farming community.

Lifting Tariffs Will Help Both Economies Recover From the COVID-19 Pandemic

Brussels, 10 June 2021- In advance of the upcoming EU-U.S. summit in Brussels, the undersigned 113 organisations reiterate our call for the permanent removal of tariffs on sectors unrelated to the ongoing transatlantic trade disputes. The transatlantic relationship is of enormous economic importance to our sectors, and we are eager to see it protected and nurtured. We welcome the positive steps to de-escalate the disputes over the past few months and hope that both sides can build on this positive momentum to secure the permanent removal of retaliatory tariffs on our products.

We are encouraged by the decision to temporarily suspend tariffs imposed in connection to the World Trade Organization Airbus-Boeing disputes and by the ongoing U.S. and EU efforts to settle the dispute before the suspension ends. Our strong desire is to see an agreement before 11 July to permanently remove these tariffs. However, predictability is essential for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. Our sectors, therefore, request advance notice that the tariffs will not return, even if there is a need for additional time to negotiate, to account for shipping times between the EU and the U.S.

We are also encouraged by the recent U.S.-EU joint statement on addressing global steel and aluminium excess capacity, and commend the EU’s decision to postpone the second tranche of rebalancing tariffs until 1 December. While this six-month respite provides reassurance to affected sectors, we call on both parties to secure an agreement before the December deadline to permanently remove existing tariffs and not to introduce new tariffs. Indeed, products across a range of sectors continue to face destructive tariffs that are harming competitiveness and negatively impacting manufacturers, producers, farmers and logistics providers and many others on both sides of the Atlantic.

We are hopeful the recent positive momentum in both disputes will lead to the permanent removal of tariffs on unrelated sectors and an agreement not to introduce new tariffs in these transatlantic disputes. We call on our leaders to intensify negotiations to ensure that this happens without delay. Removing tariffs on unrelated sectors is essential to create the necessary certainty and stability to grow the transatlantic economy as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Securing the permanent removal of tariffs on unrelated sectors will also allow both sides to establish a positive transatlantic trade agenda and focus on common areas of interest.

Brussels, 28 May - Joint open letter from agri-food chain organisations regarding the future availability and use of crop protection tools in the framework of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy.

The food produced in the EU is recognised for being safe, nutritious and of high quality. With the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies, the Commission has set out its ambition to position the EU as the gold standard for environmental, social, and economic sustainability at global level. The co-signing associations of the agri-food value chain support this ambition; in fact, we believe in many cases, our sectors already are the global gold standard.

The co-signing organisations, which are members of the Agri-Food Chain Round Table on Plant Protection and whose logos are included on top of this communication, call on the Commission to take into consideration the following points:

1. The need to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the cumulative economic, social and environmental impacts of the various targets for EU agriculture set out in the Farm to Fork and the Biodiversity Strategies before taking any political or binding regulatory decisions. This is critical to identify areas for which urgent action, accompanying measures or support are needed.

2. The targets proposed should not only be coherent and consistent across the European Green Deal initiatives, but also useful, measurable, realistic and achievable.

3. The targets should be science-based, technically feasible and economically sustainable to enable the long-term economic viability and competitiveness of all players in the food supply chain.

In order to deliver on the ambitious Green Deal objectives, any proposed combination of policy measures needs to balance trade-offs without leaving anyone in the food supply chain behind - especially in the aftermath of COVID-19. This means that the policy options under consideration need to be science-based and premised on solid data. This is too important an issue for there not to be a full assessment of the potential consequences.

Brussels, 27 May 2021 - COCERAL members pursue an active role in managing the risk of mycotoxins development: agrosupply distributors by advising farmers all along the production cycle on agricultural practices to prevent mycotoxin formation, and collectors and traders by analysing crop samples taken at harvest, in store, at loading before transport or at delivery. The results from the latest surveys carried out among COCERAL members in 2019 highlights a continued awareness of mycotoxin management risks.

20 May 2021 - Today marks one year to the day since the Farm to Fork strategy was presented in Brussels by the European Commission. However, we cannot celebrate its anniversary, as the strategy still raises too many questions in the European farming and agri food community. A year of intense debate has only increased the number of our concerns.

We, the signatories of this declaration, do not have a single doubt that the Farm to Fork strategy with its targets will have a considerable impact on the whole agricultural value chain, from farmers to our food systems and to consumers throughout the Union. But most probably not on the ones initially hoped for or expected.

Let's be perfectly clear, we are not opposed in essence to the approach proposed within the Farm to Fork strategy or the Green Deal. We are all conscious that our food system must integrate further measures to improve its sustainability as fast as possible while maintaining the highest quality standards and food affordability.

Nevertheless, not only will this strategy have an impact on the environmental quality of our agriculture, but it will also impact on our production capacity, our competitiveness, our imports and ultimately on consumer prices. As it has been demonstrated over the past year, there are also considerable paradoxes in the composition of those generalised objectives, and by the time these are widely understood, it will be too late. We must not shy away from the debate on these paradoxes. We must collectively discuss them because, even if there appears to be a collective disregard at EU-level these days, the stakes are too high.

A comprehensive impact assessment would have been the appropriate way to engage in a concrete discussion on the substance of the Farm to Fork strategy. Such a study was promised by Vice-President Frans Timmermans. However, although this was promised on many occasions in line with the principles of “good governance” of the Commission, we now know that such as assessment will not be carried out. Yet the Commission's principles on the subject are clear, “An impact assessment is required for Commission initiatives that are likely to have significant economic, environmental or social impacts. (…) Impact assessments collect evidence to assess if future legislative or non-legislative EU action is justified and how such action can best be designed to achieve desired policy objectives.” In the face of the challenges posed to our food security, this neglect on the part of the Commission is both incomprehensible and unacceptable.

Individual studies on the different objectives of the strategy are not sufficient. It is only by cumulating and cross-checking the different targets proposed in the strategy that one can realise the real challenges posed by the strategy. In the area of trade policy, the same Commission has had the courage to propose a comprehensive study of the complex cumulative impacts involved in the more than 60 trade agreements signed by the EU. So why shouldn't this be possible for the Farm to Fork strategy? Why has the US government already conducted a study on our own flagship policy3?

We are asking for the application of three common sense principles: to have a policy based on concrete data and scientific evidence that is in line with the better regulation principles, not on ideology and political stances; to start talking about concrete tools and technologies capable of creating enthusiasm in our farming community for this political project and finally to have the same level of ambition in the EU internal market vis-à-vis those international trade partners that don’t share the same ambitions.

BRUSSELS/–  Eight-eight European and American organisations impacted by EU-US retaliatory tariffs sent a letter today to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Joseph R. Biden urging the permanent removal of tariffs on sectors unrelated to the ongoing Trans-Atlantic trade disputes.

The organisations, which range from agricultural products to consumer and industrial goods, welcome the recent four-month suspension of EU and US tariffs that had been imposed as result of the long-standing disputes concerning large civil aircraft subsidies.

“We are hopeful that this suspension will help reset the vital transatlantic trade relationship and lead to the permanent removal of all additional and retaliatory tariffs on products which are unrelated to the sectors subject to ongoing transatlantic trade disputes,” said the group.

They added, “It is important for our members, already drastically affected by the economic impact of the pandemic, to be able to rely on the continued suspension or complete removal of these tariffs after July 2021.”

Citing the looming June 1 deadline for the second wave of retaliatory tariffs in the steel & aluminum dispute, the organisations call for a suspension of retaliatory tariffs in other disputes, while both sides work out a more permanent solution.

“The transatlantic relationship is of enormous economic importance to our sectors, and we are eager to see it protected and nurtured,” said the organizations.  “Our sectors should no longer incur collateral damage in unrelated disputes.”

They concluded, “We strongly urge the EU and United States to intensify efforts towards securing the permanent removal of retaliatory tariffs on products unrelated to the sectors subject to ongoing transatlantic trade disputes and to avoid new additional tariffs. This would create the necessary certainty and stability needed to grow the transatlantic economy as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Seventy-two U.S. and European associations representing a wide range of industries sent a letter today to President Joseph R. Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urging the immediate suspension of tariffs on sectors unrelated to the ongoing Trans-Atlantic trade disputes.

The coalition stated that suspending tariffs will alleviate economic harms and help re-establish a cooperative Trans-Atlantic trading relationship.

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC, joining efforts as the EU grain chain, have released today their views on how to accelerate action against deforestation.

The paper comes at a crucial moment in the EU debate, shortly after the release of the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies by the European Commission, which set the ambition of the European Union in supporting a global transition towards sustainable agri-food systems. Within this context, the fight against global deforestation and the reduction of the EU’s contribution to it, are fundamental challenges which the EU grain and oilseed trade, crushing and feed industry fully share.

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 a pandemic and governments worldwide have taken wide-ranging measures to contain the spread of the virus. The European associations representing transport, infrastructure managers, operators, workers in all transport modes and logistics, contractors, local and regional authorities, logistics service providers, shippers, users and equipment suppliers in the maritime, port, inland waterways, railways, road, cycling, aviation and intermodal sectors, as well as supporting industries and companies, jointly endorse the following statement:

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC call for the inclusion of feed next to food in the list of essential goods mentioned in the EU Commission Guidelines on Border Management published on 16th March 2020.

EU grain and oilseed trade, crushing and feed industry sectors represented by COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC welcome the European Commission Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests, adopted on 23 July 2019.

Full Press Release below:

UNISTOCK Europe, the European association of professional portside storekeepers for Agribulk commodities within the European Union, elected a new President and Vice-President during its Annual General Assembly held in Rouen in June 2019.

The new President – Andrés Gomez Bueno, Director General of Groupo Gof, and the Vice-President – Frank Peeters, Managing Director of Eurosilo, will fulfill a three-year mandate running until June 2022.

Full Press Release below:

COCERAL, the European association representing the collectors, distributors, exporters, importers and agribulk storers of agricultural commodities as well as agrosupply, elected during its General Assembly held earlier in May a new President and two Vice-Presidents.

The new President, Philippe Mitko, Head of Public Affairs at InVivo Trading, and the Vice-Presidents Zsolt Kocza, Managing Director Grains EMEA with Cargill, and Giorgio Dalla Bona, CEO at Cereal Docks International, were elected for a two-year mandate, running until June 2021.

Full press release below:

Following the publication of the findings of the safeguard investigation on imports of Indica rice originating in Cambodia and Myanmar, COCERAL deeply regrets the report’s conclusion to temporary reintroduce the customs tariffs on imports of Indica rice from Cambodia and Myanmar.

Full press release below:

Brussels, 25 June 2018 - COCERAL, the European association representing the collectors, distributors, exporters, importers and agribulk storers of agricultural commodities as well as agrosupply, elected a new President and two Vice-Presidents during its General Assembly held earlier in June.
Here below the Press Release

Brussels, 28 February 2018 - COCERAL publishes its report on “Applied methods for insect management in stored grain and oilseeds”. This third edition of the survey covers the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 crops and describes the techniques implemented by European grain and oilseeds traders and collectors to manage insect infestation in grain storage facilities: own silos, port silos and farms.
Here below the Press Release and the Final Report

Brussels, 16 January 2018 – COCERAL confirms the appointment of Iliana AXIOTIADES as its new Secretary General.
Here below the Press Releas

Brussels, 27 November 2017 – COCERAL welcomes the re-authorisation of glyphosate for 5 years and recalls its functionality as a critical active substance for the EU as well as Third Countries’ farmers.
Here below the Press Release

Brussels, 9 November 2017 – The European Parliament Transport Committee’s decision to reject the opinion put forward by MEP Bas Eickhout, and not to endorse the hard-line Environment Committee’s position on conventional biofuels, is yet another sign of the divisions over where EU biofuels policy should be heading – and comes at a time when support for transport decarbonisation is needed more than ever. 
Here below the Press Release

Brussels, 9 November 2017 – COCERAL regrets that no decision has been made during today’s Standing Committee meeting on the European Commission proposal to re-authorise glyphosate.
Here below the Press Release

Brussels, 6 November 2017 – Ahead of discussions on 9 November, COCERAL calls on the European Commission and Member States to re-authorise the active substance glyphosate for fifteen years following positive assessments on the safety of the substance from both the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). 
Here below the Press Release

Brussels, 24 October 2017 – The European Parliament Environment Committee’s vote to phase-out the use of biofuels by 2030 seriously undermines the EU’s climate and sustainability objectives. It diverges sharply from the latest draft proposal from the EU Council, which safeguards the role of biofuels in the renewable energy framework.
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Brussels, 27 September 2017 - Ahead of talks next week, COCERAL, Copa and Cogeca call on Member States to re-authorise the use of the widely used weed killer glyphosate for fifteen years after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) gave it a positive assessment
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Brussels 18^thJuly 2017 - COCERAL and Copa-Cogeca sent a joint letter to Member States this week calling for the full 15 years re-authorisation of the herbicide active substance glyphosate in the EU after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) gave it a positive assessment. 
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Brussels, 14 July 2017 - COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC members rely on the EU production of oilseeds, soy and other oil- and protein-containing crops. We share the objective of an increased production of soy in Europe. According to the protein balance sheet developed by the European Commission, with input from COCERAL, FEDIOL, FEFAC and several other stakeholders, Europe produces already important amounts of protein, but there is a clear deficit of protein-rich crops and feed material.
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Following several years of fruitful cooperation, the European Feed Ingredient Safety Certification Scheme (EFISC) and the COCERAL Good Trading Practice Code (GTP Code) Certification Scheme have decided to join forces thereby also making stronger use of synergies. As of 1st July 2017 GTP and EFISC certification schemes will operate jointly, under the new name “European Feed & Food Ingredients Safety Certification” Aisbl (EFISC-GTP).
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Brussels, 23 June 2017 - On behalf of 42 EU Associations of the EU feed chain, including suppliers of feed materials, traders, specialty feed & compound feed manufacturers and farmers, CEFS, Copa-Cogeca and FEFAC draw the attention of feed operators worldwide to the publication in the Official Journal of the EU of the third update of the EU Catalogue of feed materials (Regulation (EU) 2017/1017).
Here below the press release.

Warsaw, 30 May 2017 - Today, COCERAL and UNISTOCK organized their Annual Conference in Warsaw, Poland, entitled “Innovation in the Food and Production Supply Chain: Communication Risks, Sharing Experiences and Seizing Opportunities”.

COCERAL and UNICSTOCK expect a balanced Exit-Agreement that will safeguard operations across the Channel. Here below the press release. 

Brussels, 15 March 2017 – COCERAL welcomes the release of the European Chemicals Agency opinion on the harmonised classification for glyphosate. 

17 February 2017 – COCERAL congratulates the Members of the European Parliament for approving the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement – CETA, which will serve as a model for the EU’s future negotiations.
Here below the press release.

COCERAL welcomes the outcome of the vote at the European Parliament, adopting the Regulatory Technical Standards for the application of position limits to commodity derivatives – RTS 21.
Here below the press release.

COCERAL and others 17 European Associations representing a wide number of economic sectors affected directly or indirectly by comitology rules, consider that science-based decisions must be central to comitology to allow for legal and regulatory certainty in the EU.
Here below the Joint Statement.

In the International Year of Pulses, COCERAL together with FEFAC and Copa and Cogeca, hold workshop hosted by MEP Petri Sarvamaa to look at benefits of the EU pulses sector and of developing own protein crop supply

COCERAL and COPA & COGECA organized a workshop in the European Parliament this week, hosted by MEPs G. La Via, D. Buda and N. Nicolai, to discuss the outlook, competitiveness and challenges of producing and supplying raw materials in the EU.

COCERAL’s September estimate for the EU’s 2016 soft wheat crop stands at 134.0 mln t, which is significantly lower than the number of 148 ml t that has been released in the previous forecast published in June.

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC reiterate the need for a robust, predictable EU GM import authorisation system providing legal certainty to operators to ensure vital protein supplies to the EU feed and livestock sector.

COCERAL regrets that many widely used crop protection products will be removed from the market because the Commission missed the opportunity to include any hazard characterisation element, as well as any consideration of exposure and socio-economic impacts in the draft definition of Endocrine Disruptors (EDs).

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC urged the President of the EU Commission, in an open letter, to move forward  the authorisation procedure for the three GM soya bean products (Genetically Modified Soybeans MON87705 x MON89788, MON87708 x MON89788 and FG72).

COCERAL regrets that there was no vote in the EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) yesterday to renew authorization of the herbicide active substance glyphosate whose current authorisation ends on 30th June.

Ahead of the EU Standing Committee on Plants, animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) vote, COCERAL calls on the EU decision-makers and Members States to keep the herbicide active substance glyphosate on the EU market.

COCERAL calls on the EU decision-makers and Members of the EU Parliament to rigorously abide by science when considering the authorization or renewal of authorization of any Plant Protection Product (PPP).

Barbaros Corekoglu joins COCERAL Secretariat in charge of the Market, Trade and Sustainability portfolio. Prior joining COCERAL, he gained extensive experience in the trade, energy and environmental policy areas working for the agri-business industry sector. Barbaros started his career at the European Commission – Directorate General for Trade and succeeds Gloria Gabellini who has been with COCERAL for the past six years.

EuropaBio, COCERAL and FEFAC welcome the European Ombudsman’s decision on their complaint regarding the European Commission’s handling of authorisation applications for genetically modified (GM) food and feed for import and processing.

Leading EU agriculture and food industries repeated their call for innovation to be considered at every stage of the legislative process. The 7th European Innovation Summit confirmed support for the ‘innovation principle’ to contribute to a sensible and science-based approach to policy making that can guarantee the long-term competitiveness of the EU agricultural sector.

COCERAL has been made aware of a questionable trade practice involving soybean meal imported in the EU market from Argentina. The feed material would be allegedly exported from Argentina under a custom heading and then imported into the EU under a different one with a significant competitive advantage on the market.

The Plenary of the European Parliament rejected the Commission’s proposal which would grant Member States the right to ban the use of EU authorised genetically modified (GM) food or feed in their territories.

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC are delighted to announce the release of their Economic Impact Assessment of the Commission’s Genetically Modified (GM) “opt-out” proposal. The study assesses the potential implications for the feed and livestock sector in four EU Member States potentially opting out from GM authorisation (i.e., France, Germany, Hungary and Poland).

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC welcome the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee’s firm approach to reject the European Commission proposal to allow individual Member States to decide whether to permit or not the use of genetically modified food or feed and expect that the Plenary will exercise the same assertiveness in rejecting it.

COCERAL continue to have concerns on the ESMA draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS), despite encouraging moves from ESMA on the definition of risk-reducing positions.

COCERAL and Gafta are delighted to announce that following COCERAL’s Board meeting on the 24th September 2015, Gafta’ s application to re-join COCERAL was accepted. This decision, that is subject to formal ratification at the COCERAL AGM in May next year, was prompted by Gafta’ s strategic review of its policy work.

COCERAL together with UNISTOCK and COGECA welcomed the approval by the EU Commission and Member States of the European Guide of Good Hygiene Practices by COCERAL, COGECA, UNISTOCK for the collection, storage, trading and transport of cereals, oilseeds, protein crops, other plant products and derived products.

The Agri-Food Chain Coalition (AFCC) presented its joint declaration entitled: “Food for Thought: a vision for unlocking the potential of agriculture and food industries in the EU ” to the Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan. The event took place on the first day of the Food & Drink Week at the Universal Expo in Milan with the aim of showcasing the importance of science and innovation in the EU agri-food sector.

The Agrifood chain Roundtable for Plant Protection hosted an event at the European Parliament on 23 June 2015 where they presented their concerns regarding the EU’s current approach to the shaping of European policy and legislation on plant protection products (PPP), and their impact along the agri-food chain.

Jaana Kleinschmit, member of the management board of ADM Hamburg Aktiengesellschaft, General Manager of Germany GmbH and representing the German grain trade association (VdG - Verein der Getreidehändler der Hamburger Börse e.V.), was elected President of COCERAL by the General Assembly that met on 22nd of May in Antwerp. Succeeding Paul Della Tolla, Jaana will serve a two-year term until 2017.

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC call on the EU Council and the European Parliament to block any political agreement on the Commission’s proposal which allows Member States to ban food and feed use of EU authorised GM crops. 

EU Food and feed chain partners rejected the European Commissions’ latest proposal which attempts to renationalize EU market authorisations of genetically modified crops for feed and food use. The chain partners urge the EU Parliament and Council to reject the Commission’s proposal which amounts to renationalisation and would reverse the economic achievements of the European Customs Union and the Single Market.

COCERAL together with the Food and Feed Chain released a press statement urging European Commission President Juncker to reject any attempt to renationalize EU market authorisations of genetically modified crops for feed and food use. COCERAL is leading the Food and Feed Chain efforts to reject this initiative that threatens the EU Single Market and our entire sector.

COCERAL, FEFAC and FEDIOL urge the EU Commission to lift immediately the present “de-facto” moratorium on GM import authorizations for food, feed and technical uses to prevent further threats to the EU food security as well as to the economic sustainability of the food, feed and EU livestock sector.

The introduction of an export duty will now further limit the capacity to export wheat from Russia as from the 1st of February Russia is imposing an export duty of 15 per cent + 7.5 EUR/ton on wheat. COCERAL stands against these trade-distorting measures and calls the EU institutions for a firm action.

Copa-Cogeca, Coceral, Fediol, Fefac, Uecbv and A.v.e.c., urged the EU Barroso Commission today not to delay authorization of 8 new varieties of genetically modified grain for import, food and feed processing which have scientifically proved to be safe, to avoid a further threat to the EU food and feed supply and market balance, warning they are especially essential for the livestock industry.

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC call on the European Commission to urgently, by September 2014, take a Decision on the EU authorization of eight GM products for import, food and feed processing to avoid further threat to the EU supply of soybeans, maize, rapeseed and various protein-rich products derived thereof.

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC express serious disappointment about the European Commission’s lack of consideration for the consequences for the EU food and feed business operators of having further delayed the EU authorization of 8 GM products for import, food and feed processing. This postponement by the college of EU Commissioners leaves the EU food and feed business operators exposed to possible risk of disruptions of the vital imports of soybeans, maize and various protein-rich products derived thereof from the key exporting regions to the EU as well as serious legal uncertainty.

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC call on the European Commission to safeguard vital imports of soybeans, maize and various protein-rich products derived thereof from the key exporting regions to the EU. By unlocking urgently and by July 2014 the EU authorization of 8 GM products for import, food and feed processing the college of Commissioners will provide the necessary legal certainty to food and feed business operators.

COCERAL calls on the European negotiators to continue pursuing an ambitious trade facilitation agenda with the US.

COCERAL publishes its report on “Applied methods for insect management in stored grain and oilseeds”, showing that grain collectors and traders prefer mechanical methods over chemical treatment for managing insect during the storage phases.

COCERAL welcomed today the institutional agreement reached last night on MIFID II, stressing the importance of transparent and well-functioning futures markets as key instruments to managing price volatility for agricultural commodities.

The biofuel chain called on the EU Council of Ministers to reject the Lithuanian compromise proposal to set a cap of 7% on the use of biofuels made from farm products and introduce ILUC factors.

Pascale Rouhier is the new Secretary General of CELCAA, the representative body for European Traders in agriculture commodities. Former Secretary General of the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA), Pascale has more than 10 years of experience of European associations’ management and is specialized in agriculture and trade policies.

As the largest EU trading partner for agricultural products, COCERAL welcomes the upcoming EU-USA Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and looks forward to an agreement that will cover all aspects of trade and investment, leading to the removal of traditional tariff barriers and import quotas that currently cap the potential for transatlantic agricultural trade.

The size and magnitude of VAT fraud impedes fair competition and puts law abiding business operators at serious disadvantage against fraudsters. The quick reaction and the reverse charge mechanisms represent the timely structural solution to fight against VAT frauds in the agricultural commodities and finished products like bottled vegetable oils.

COCERAL has announced the election of Paul Della Tolla as President of COCERAL. Representative of SEEDYZ, the Greek cereals and grain trade association, and President of Dimitriaki SA in Greece, Paul succeeds Marcel Combot and will serve a two-year term till 2015.

The grain trading sector, the oilseeds crushers and the sugar trading sector suffer greatly from the unlawful competition of fraudsters cheating the basic VAT rules in a number of countries in the EU. The anti-fraud package on VAT proposed by the European Commission and the Irish Presidency would provide for a structural solution to this on-going problem, yet until now it has not found much needed support from the EU Council. 

The EU farmers and biofuels industries remains steadfastly opposed to the European Commission’s proposal which will have devastating impact on the biofuels industries and diversification of farmers’ revenues.

The EU biofuel industry, the sectors part of the value chain as well as the agricultural Community are shocked by the leaked draft proposal on how to address ILUC which indicates that the Commission is preparing for a complete u-turn on its biofuels policies. Without any proper assessment of the impact of the current policy the Commission prepares to sacrifice a thriving and functioning industry on the basis of inconclusive science and disproportionate environmental precaution.

The EU Feed Chain draws the attention of feed operators worldwide to the publication in the Official Journal of the EU of the second update of the EU Catalogue of feed materials, whose most relevant change is the establishment of maximum contents for certain chemical impurities.

The Agri-Food chain urges the European commission to act immediately on the limited availability of plant protection products for minor uses and specialty crops.

This report aims to show the results of a biannual survey carried out by COCERAL members. It will highlight which tools and actions are put in place to manage the risk of mycotoxins by agrosupply distributors and grain traders.

COCERAL´s President highlights the current need to sustainably maximise the potentials of our farmland as well as the capabilities of freely moving grains from areas of surplus production to areas of deficit.

The conference recognised the vital need for EU consumers to have access to a wide range of agricultural and food products at an affordable price. It agreed as well that with EU food security and the competitiveness of the whole agri-food chain under threat, the reduction in active substances and available solutions which is foreseen cannot be ignored any longer.

COCERAL, OVOCOM and AIC sign mutual recognition agreements
COCERAL, OVOCOM and AIC have recently signed recognition agreements which seal the mutual recognition of GTP (COCERAL), GMP (OVOCOM), and UFAS, FEMAS and TASCC (AIC).

COCERAL and FEDIOL welcome the recognition of seven Voluntary Schemes (Schemes) for biofuels sustainability certification by the European Commission. However they also urge the Commission to accelerate the technical evaluation and recognition of other Schemes to ensure the continued development of sustainable biofuel raw materials in a harmonised internal market.

COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC acknowledge the entry into force of the “technical solution” for minutes traces of GMOs not yet authorized in the EU that will avoid disruption in feed supplies by boosting legal certainty for animal feed imports into Europe. They also call for proactive steps by the European Commission and Member States to take  toward a low level presence policy adopting a more comprehensive long-term strategy to managing GMOs in the commodity supply chain.

COCERAL has announced the election of Marcel COMBOT as President of COCERAL. Representative of the SYNACOMEX French cereals trade association and grain and oilseeds country lead at Cargill group in France, Marcel succeeds Margaretha Minser and will serve two-year term till 2013.

The Commission and Members States did not reach a consensus on the proposal for a technical solution for the low level presence of GM events not yet authorized in Europe. COCERAL Members share European farmers, food and feed processors' concern as regards the further delay in finding a workable solution that could endanger trade operations and impact seriously all the EU farm.

COCERAL announces the appointment of Mr David Caffall as Chairman of the Agrosupply Section and as a member of COCERAL’s Presidium. He is also Executive of the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), the leading trade body for the agricultural supply industry in the UK. 

COCERAL announced the appointment of Mr. Julien TAIEB as new Senior Policy Advisor. He will focus on the tools developed by COCERAL along the chain for the implementation of the food and feed hygiene legislation and will dedicate time to the consolidation of the new GTP Code - Quality assurance scheme within the framework of the EFIP platform.

After 18 months of joint efforts between 39 EU organisations of the feed chain, CEFS, COPA-COGECA and FEFAC welcome the official approval of the updated Catalogue of feed materials that they submitted to the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health.

The EU legislator mandated the representatives of the EU feed business sectors to publish on the Internet a Register  of feed materials on the market that are not listed in the related EU Catalogue.  

COCERAL members act in the food and feed supply chain, both at the level of agrosupply distributors and grain traders. This report aims to highlight which tools and actions are put in place to prevent and control the risk of mycotoxins in the batches traded within European Member States by agrosupply distributors and grain traders.

COGECA and COCERAL welcomed the adoption by EU Commission and Member States of The European Good Hygiene Practices Guide for the collection, storage, trading and transport of cereals, oilseeds and protein crops (co-products included) destined for human as well as animal consumption. COCERAL and COGECA are also committed to keep updating the Guide so that it can evolve and be adapted to new food and feed safety requirements as well as to new risk-management methods, in collaboration with the food and feed chain partners and Member States.

COCERAL is continuing working, together with a number of parties, on a new GTP-scheme for for collection, storage, collection, storage, trade and transport and transport to replace the current GTP with new rules of certification applicable as from 1st October 2010. A new website specifically dedicated to the new scheme, the relation with the Certification Bodies as well as a platform for discussion and exchange with the other scheme owners are planned to be enhanced and developed.