Reading Time: < 1 minute Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer has filed a request for approval of its planned US$66 billion takeover of U.S. seeds company Monsanto with European Union regulators, as suitors line up for assets that Bayer will sell to get the approval by year-end. Bayer, which is bracing for the EU Commission to go into an in-depth […] Read more
Bayer files for Monsanto takeover approval with EU regulators
Cheese and drugs wrangle holds up EU-Canada trade deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — Disputes over cheese and pharmaceuticals are holding up the start of a EU-Canada free trade agreement that both sides have championed as a landmark deal for open markets against a protectionist tide. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has received all the clearances required for it to enter force provisionally, […] Read more
Canada, other countries raise meat inspection bar for Brazil
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg/Chicago | Reuters — Meat-importing countries from North America to Europe and Asia have tightened inspection standards for shipments from Brazil in a bid to protect consumers, following a probe into possible corruption involving inspectors. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said on Wednesday that the tighter inspection standards it enacted in April have resulted […] Read more
New study on glyphosate to feed into crucial EU vote
Reading Time: 3 minutes London | Reuters — Results of a new animal study into possible health risks of glyphosate will be published in time to inform a key EU re-licensing vote due by the end of 2017, according to the researcher leading the trial. A row over possible effects of glyphosate — an ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup […] Read more
EU nations vote against GM crops, but not enough to block them
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — A majority of EU countries voted on Monday against allowing two new genetically modified crops to be grown in Europe, batting the contentious decision on GM cultivation in Europe back to the EU executive. EU governments were asked to vote on the future of two grades of GM maize, Pioneer’s 1507 […] Read more
Asset sale plan secures EU backing for Dow, DuPont merger
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Dow Chemical and DuPont won the blessing of the European Union for their US$130 billion merger on Monday by agreeing to sell substantial assets including key research and development activities. The European Commission had been concerned that the merger of two of the biggest and oldest U.S. chemical producers would leave few incentives […] Read more
EU chemical agency says glyphosate not carcinogenic
Reading Time: 2 minutes Helsinki | Reuters — Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, should not be classified as a substance causing cancer, the European Chemical Agency concluded on Wednesday, potentially paving the way for its licence renewal in the EU. A transatlantic row over possible risks to human health has prompted investigations by congressional committees in […] Read more
EU regulators reported set to clear Dow, DuPont deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — Dow Chemical and DuPont are set to win EU antitrust approval for their US$130 billion merger, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The deal, which still needs approval from U.S. and other regulators, has faced intense scrutiny from the European Commission. Of particular concern is combining the two […] Read more
U.K. farming minister seeks big changes to farm policy post-Brexit
Reading Time: 2 minutes Birmingham | Reuters –– Britain’s farm policy is set for a major shake-up when the country leaves the European Union because the current system is poor value for money, has too much red tape and provides few incentives to use the latest technologies, farming and environment minister Andrea Leadsom said Tuesday. Leadsom said she was […] Read more
Italy’s pasta labeling plan raises Canadian concerns
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg/Rome | Reuters — Canada has raised concerns with Rome about Italy’s plan to require country-of-origin labels on pasta sold there, Canada’s agriculture minister said on Wednesday about a move that is alarming Canadian wheat exporters just as a free trade deal gained European approval. Rome sent a draft decree to the European Commission in […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
