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This report provides an overview of EU food and feed legislation currently in force for the EU. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) staff reviewed and updated all sections of this annual report.

After an EU-wide drought in 2022, the EU27 dairy herd is forecast to drop below 20 million head in 2023. This will lead to a continued decrease in milk production and deliveries for factory use despite higher farm gate milk prices. As EU dairy processors continue to favor cheese production, the decrease in milk deliveries will be at the expense of butter and non-fat dry milk (NFDM), and, to a lower extent, lower whole milk powder (WMP) production, despite high world market prices.

This report updates several sections of the European Union’s “Oilseeds and Products Annual” report released in April 2022. Updated sections include soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower. Increased areas of about 10 percent for all three major oilseeds but lower average yields for sunflower, and rapeseed are forecast to result in a total of about 3 percent higher production in MY 2022/23.

Total EU27 sugar production for MY 2022/23 is forecast at 16 million metric tons (MMT), a decrease of 330,000 metric tons (MT) from MY 2021/22. This is the fifth consecutive year that the EU internal sugar production cannot meet domestic sugar consumption.

The European Union (EU) follows a complex, rolling system of review for active ingredients and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. For agricultural inputs, U.S. farmers must know early in the process of review to prevent or mitigate the loss of, and/or access to, chemical inputs.

One of the goals of the EU’s Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy is to enhance the EU’s animal welfare legislation. The enforcement of existing legislation on animal welfare during transport has proven difficult in past years.

On September 13 & 14, the European Union Parliament adopted its negotiating positions on Deforestation-Free Supply Chains regulations and revisions to the Renewable Energy Directive. The two files will now enter trilogue negotiations, where the Council, Parliament, and Commission will work to reach a compromise text.

In 2021, the European Union (EU)-27 imported $7.1 billion in tree nuts from the world. The United States, with $2.5 billion, is the largest EU-27 tree nuts supplier, accounting for 35 percent of total imports.

Forced by record high feed and energy prices and tightening environmental restrictions, EU cattle and swine farmers are scaling back production. High carcass prices have encouraged cattle farmers to advance the slaughter of their herds, but lower slaughter weights will put pressure on overall beef production this year.

On August 3-5, 2022, the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) presented the 2022 EU apple and pear crop forecast at the 47th edition of the Prognosfruit convention. WAPA forecasts the 2022 EU fresh apples crop at 12.2 million metric tons (MT), 1.3 percent above the 2021 harvest and nine percent higher than the average of the preceding three years.

Hemp demand and production is growing worldwide. This report reviews the regulatory framework and major consumption trends for hemp in the European Union.

EU’s cherry and peaches and nectarines production for MY2022/23 is anticipated to amount to just over 726,000 MT and 3.1 million MT, respectively. The favorable growing conditions in the main producing Member States support cherry production expansion, while in the case of peaches and nectarines, improved production levels in Greece, Italy, and France, have offset poor performance registered in Spain.