1. Amendment to EU Deforestation Regulation:
The regulation extends the implementation timeline of deforestation-free product requirements by 12 months. The main application date moves to December 2025, with small businesses getting until June 2026. Country risk classifications will be done by June 2025, and the old Timber Regulation remains in force until December 2025. The information system will be available before the new dates, with special provisions for timber products made before June 2023.
2. RESTORE Framework:
A new emergency support framework for disaster-affected EU regions allows using up to 10% of ESF+ and ERDF funds for reconstruction. It features 95% co-financing rates and 25% pre-financing for disaster response. The framework covers infrastructure restoration, natural area rehabilitation, temporary social support, and healthcare access. Projects from January 2024 to December 2025 can receive retroactive funding.
3. Poultry Import Restrictions:
New restrictions on poultry imports from specific zones in the UK and US due to avian influenza outbreaks. The regulation establishes 10-kilometer restricted zones around outbreak locations – five in the UK and 17 in the US. It suspends imports of poultry products and meat from these zones, with implementation dates in December 2024.
4. Agricultural Disaster Support:
Creates emergency financial assistance through EAFRD for disaster-affected farmers and rural businesses from January 2024. Offers up to €42,000 per beneficiary with 100% EU funding, targeting those who lost 30% or more of production potential. Allows simplified lump sum payments and flexible implementation, with spending possible until end of 2025.
5. OACPS Partnership Agreement Update:
Technical update to include final signature pages of the EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement, which began provisional application in January 2024. Incorporates corrections from November 2024 and completes the formal documentation of all signatories.
Review of each of legal acts published today:
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 to prepare for compliance.The Regulation makes three main amendments to the original act:
- Changes the deadline for the Commission to classify countries as low or high risk to June 30, 2025
- Postpones the repeal of the previous Timber Regulation (995/2010) to December 30, 2025
- Delays the application of core provisions on due diligence and compliance to December 30, 2025, with small businesses getting until June 30, 2026
The most significant provisions include:
- The information system for operators and traders will be available before the new application date, allowing early registration and submission of due diligence statements
- Special transition periods for timber products produced before June 29, 2023
- Maintaining the standard risk level assignment for all countries from June 29, 2023, while postponing the detailed risk classification
- Extended timeline for micro and small enterprises to comply with the regulations, giving them additional 6 months after the main application date
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 main provisions include:
- Support for restoration of damaged infrastructure, including public facilities and business equipment
- Funding for restoration of natural areas, biodiversity and green infrastructure
- Temporary social support measures like short-time work schemes (up to 18 months)
- Basic material assistance without accompanying measures requirement (up to 6 months)
- Healthcare access support including for people not in immediate socio-economic vulnerability
- Requirement to avoid overlap with other EU instruments, national support or private insurance
- Application of ‘build back better’ principle to increase community resilience
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 the 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 restricted zones around each outbreak location
- Suspension of imports of poultry, germinal products, and fresh meat from these specific zones
- Detailed geographical coordinates and descriptions for each restricted zone
- Implementation dates for each restriction, ranging from December 3 to December 16, 2024
The regulation provides specific technical details about the restricted zones, including precise GPS coordinates and administrative boundaries. Each zone is assigned a unique identification code (e.g., GB-2.332 for UK zones and US-2.743 for US zones) and has specific restrictions on different types of poultry products and germinal materials.
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 help affected regions quickly recover from disasters.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 environmental spending thresholds by up to 15%, introducing a new temporary support measure with 100% EU funding, and simplifying administrative procedures for disaster-affected areas.The main provisions include:
– Support eligibility for farmers, forest holders and SMEs who lost at least 30% of production potential due to natural disasters
– Maximum support of €42,000 per beneficiary to be paid by end of 2025
– Simplified lump sum payments with possibility to differentiate amounts based on objective criteria
– Up to 100% EU co-financing rate with maximum 10% of total EAFRD program contribution
– Ability to support operations completed before funding application if responding to disasters from 2024
– Flexibility for Member States to recognize entire affected areas under force majeure provisions
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.
