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This briefing provides a legal analysis and critical assessment of the genetically modified micro-organisms (GMM) component of the Commission proposal for a Directive amending Directives 2001/18/EC and 2010/53/EU as regards the placing on the market of genetically modified micro-organisms and the processing of organs. This proposal was presented in December 2025 and accompanies the European Biotech Act. The briefing presents and analyses the proposed GMM-related amendments, situates the proposal ...

New and emerging plant pests can undermine EU food security and farm/forestry incomes through yield losses, trade disruption and costly control measures, while also causing major environmental impacts through biodiversity loss, landscape change and increased pressure to use pesticides. Using a comprehensive foresight methodology, this study examines how global trade and tourism, climate change and agricultural systems contribute to the introduction and spread of new and emerging plant pests, assesses ...

This fact sheet gives an overview of the EU’s food safety policy, which aims to protect human health and consumer interests and foster the smooth operation of the single market. It illustrates how, over time, developments have broadened food safety objectives to include the mitigation of crisis-induced food insecurity. It also looks at the different areas covered by EU food safety policy and describes the role of the European Parliament in regulating it.

The European Biotech Act I, proposed in December 2025, is the EU’s first standalone legislation regulating health biotechnology across its full lifecycle, from research to market placement. This briefing sets the Act’s scope and rationale against the sector’s economic weight and the widening global competitiveness gap. It maps the scope and regulatory landscape and places it in its competitiveness context. The briefing also profiles leading biotech hubs across Member States and identifies structural ...

Labelling is intended to help consumers make informed choices about the food and beverages they consume. In the EU, food information is primarily governed by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. Yet alcoholic beverages remain partly exempt from standard labelling requirements, despite alcohol being linked to more than 200 health conditions and causing 656 deaths daily across the EU, which also has some of the world's highest consumption levels, with 77 % of adults consuming alcohol. Alcohol is also a major ...

During the June plenary session, the European Parliament is expected to vote on the provisional agreement reached with the Council on the European Commission's proposal on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques. The proposal aims to align existing EU legislation on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with new scientific developments.

This EPRS paper analyses how the European Commission is delivering on the policy agenda set by its President, Ursula von der Leyen, and her College of Commissioners since taking office in December 2024. It provides an initial assessment of the delivery of the agenda's seven priorities as of spring 2026. The von der Leyen II Commission has set seven priorities – different from the six priorities of her first mandate. It has so far announced close to 400 initiatives. Half of these initiatives fall ...

Food contact materials (FCMs) include all materials that come into physical contact with food during its production, processing, packaging and storage. They contain thousands of chemicals, some of which can migrate into food, especially at high temperatures, during long contact times or with certain food types. Scientific evidence shows that such migration is common and may contribute to human exposure to hazardous substances, including endocrine disruptors, carcinogens and reproductive toxicants ...

Energy drinks, widely marketed as performance-enhancing products, contain high levels of caffeine, sugar and stimulants such as taurine and guarana. Rising and excessive consumption among adolescents has raised public health concerns linked to acute cardiovascular effects, sleep disruption and gastrointestinal issues. Although the global energy drink market is expanding rapidly, these beverages still represent a small share of the EU non-alcoholic drinks market. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA ...

On 21 October 2025, the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen's second mandate adopted its work programme for 2026 (2026 CWP). In line with the Commission President's political guidelines and letter of intent and highlighting the need for full implementation of Mario Draghi's competitiveness report, the 2026 CWP places a strong emphasis on competitiveness, innovation and collective security. In parallel, the Commission commits to advancing simplification, implementation, and this year, also ...