Here’s a review of the significant legal acts:
RESTORE Framework Regulation
A new emergency support framework allowing quick financial assistance for regions hit by natural disasters. It enables using up to 10% of ESF+ and ERDF funds for disaster response with 95% co-financing rate and 25% pre-financing. Covers infrastructure restoration, temporary work schemes, and basic assistance, with retroactive funding possible for disasters between January 2024-December 2025.
Poultry Import Restrictions Amendment
Modifies EU rules on poultry imports from UK and US due to avian influenza outbreaks. Establishes 22 restricted zones (5 in UK, 17 in US) with 10km radius around affected areas. Suspends entry of poultry products from these zones, with specific restrictions for different product categories.
Deforestation Regulation Amendment
Postpones the application of EU Deforestation Regulation by 12 months to December 2025. Sets new deadline for country risk classification to June 2025, with special provisions delaying implementation to June 2026 for small businesses. Includes transitional measures for timber products produced before June 2023.
Agricultural Emergency Support Amendment
Provides emergency EAFRD support for farmers and rural businesses affected by natural disasters from January 2024. Offers up to €42,000 per beneficiary with 100% EU co-financing. Support targets those who lost 30% or more of production potential, with applications due by June 2025 and payments by December 2025.
EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement Notice
Technical update on signature pages of the Partnership Agreement between EU and OACPS, signed in November 2023 and applied from January 2024. Includes final signature pages and corrections from November 2024.
Review of each of legal acts published today:
Regulation (EU) 2024/3236 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1057 and (EU) 2021/1058 as regards Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction (RESTORE)
This Regulation establishes a temporary framework called RESTORE (Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction) to provide immediate support to regions affected by natural disasters in the EU. It amends existing regulations on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to enable quick financial assistance for reconstruction and social support in affected areas. The framework specifically targets floods and wildfires that occurred in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe.The Regulation introduces several key structural changes to existing EU funds:
- Creates a new specific objective under the Investment for jobs and growth goal to channel ERDF and Cohesion Fund support for reconstruction
- Allows Member States to program up to 10% of their initial ESF+ and ERDF allocations for disaster response
- Establishes a higher co-financing rate of up to 95% for disaster-related priorities
- Introduces additional pre-financing of 25% for disaster response measures
- Enables retroactive funding for completed projects related to disasters occurring between January 2024 and December 2025
The most significant provisions include:
- Support for restoration of damaged infrastructure, including public facilities, business assets and natural areas
- Temporary measures like short-time work schemes (up to 18 months) and emergency healthcare access
- Basic assistance including food aid without requiring accompanying measures (up to 6 months)
- Requirement to follow the ‘build back better’ principle to increase community resilience
- Measures to prevent overlap with other EU instruments, national support or private insurance
- Simplified procedures for programming and implementing disaster response measures
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3239 of 19 December 2024 amending Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for the United Kingdom and the United States in the lists of third countries, territories or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of poultry and germinal products of poultry, and of fresh meat of poultry and game birds
This Commission Implementing Regulation amends the existing rules regarding the entry of poultry, poultry products, and game birds into the European Union from the United Kingdom and the United States. The changes are made in response to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in both countries in December 2024.The regulation modifies Annexes V and XIV of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, which contain lists of third countries and territories authorized to export poultry and related products to the EU. The amendments establish new restricted zones around areas where HPAI outbreaks were detected – five zones in the UK (in Norfolk and Yorkshire) and 17 zones in various US states (California, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota).The main provisions include:
– Establishment of 10-kilometer radius restriction zones around affected establishments
– Suspension of entry into the EU of poultry, germinal products, and fresh meat from these specific zones
– Detailed geographical coordinates and descriptions of each restricted zone
– Implementation dates for each restriction, corresponding to the confirmation dates of HPAI outbreaksThe regulation provides specific technical details about each restricted zone, including precise geographical coordinates and administrative boundaries. It also maintains different categories of restrictions for various types of poultry products (BPP, BPR, DOC, DOR, POU, etc.) and implements control measures through coding systems for different zones (GB-2.332 to GB-2.336 for UK zones and US-2.743 to US-2.759 for US zones).
Regulation (EU) 2024/3234 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as regards provisions relating to the date of application
This Regulation amends the EU Deforestation Regulation 2023/1115, which aims to prevent deforestation-linked products from entering the EU market. The key change is postponing the main application date by 12 months, from December 2024 to December 2025, to give stakeholders more time for preparation. The regulation also adjusts related deadlines for country risk classification and special provisions for small businesses.The structure of the regulation is straightforward, containing two main articles. Article 1 introduces three key amendments to Regulation 2023/1115: new deadlines for country risk classification (June 2025), updated provisions for the repeal of the previous timber regulation, and revised application dates. Article 2 deals with the entry into force.The main provisions that are most important for practical application include:
– The new general application date of December 30, 2025 for the core obligations regarding deforestation-free products
– A special delayed application date of June 30, 2026 for micro and small enterprises
– The deadline of June 30, 2025 for the Commission to publish the list of high-risk and low-risk countries
– The repeal of the previous Timber Regulation (995/2010) is postponed to December 30, 2025
– Special transitional provisions for timber products produced before June 29, 2023
Regulation (EU) 2024/3242 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 as regards specific measures under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development to provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters
This Regulation amends existing rules to provide emergency financial assistance through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to farmers, forest holders and rural businesses affected by natural disasters occurring from January 2024. The act introduces a new temporary support measure with simplified procedures and increased flexibility in fund allocation to quickly address the devastating effects of natural disasters in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe.The Regulation modifies the existing Regulation 2020/2220 by adding several new articles that establish the framework for emergency assistance. The key changes include allowing Member States to decrease the non-regression threshold by up to 15 percentage points, introducing a new temporary support measure with 100% EU co-financing rate, and setting up simplified procedures for disaster recognition and fund distribution.The main provisions include:
– Support eligibility for farmers, forest holders, and SMEs who lost at least 30% of their production potential due to natural disasters
– Maximum support of €42,000 per beneficiary
– Lump sum payments to be made by December 31, 2025
– Applications must be approved by June 30, 2025
– EAFRD support cannot exceed 10% of the total rural development program contribution for 2021-2022
– Member States can consider whole affected areas as being under force majeure
– Support must be targeted to most affected beneficiaries using objective criteria
– Implementation must follow ‘build back better’ principle to increase sector resilience
Notice to the reader: the signature pages of the Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of the other part [2024/…]
This is a technical notice regarding the signature pages of the Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). The Agreement establishes a comprehensive partnership framework between these parties. The document serves as an update to the previously published Agreement text, specifically focusing on the completion of the signature process. The main elements include:
- The Agreement was initially signed on November 15, 2023, in Apia, Samoa
- Provisional application began on January 1, 2024
- The original text was published in Official Journal on December 28, 2023
- This notice includes updated signature pages reflecting all signatures and incorporates a procès-verbal of rectification dated November 7, 2024
The key aspect of this notice is its administrative nature, serving to complete the formal documentation of the Agreement by providing the final version of signature pages. It ensures full transparency and proper documentation of all signatories to the Agreement, including corrections made through the November 2024 rectification process.
