by Géraldine Kutas | Jul 8, 2019 | sugarcane sector, sustainability
20 years to the day of negotiations beginning, an agreement was reached on the EU-Mercosur deal. Cautious optimism had been growing for some weeks, but when the confirmation was received late on Friday 28thJune, it came nonetheless as a huge surprise. Here we...
by Géraldine Kutas | Jun 25, 2019 | environmental protection, sugarcane sector
EU-Mercosur negotiations have had their share of ups and downs over the past 20 years. However, since the beginning of the year, the new Brazilian Government surprised many with their strong pro-trade stance and have demonstrated an unexpected ambition to close the...
by Géraldine Kutas | Nov 13, 2018 | biofuels, environmental protection
With today’s European Parliament (EP) approval of REDII (495 in favour, 68 against, 61 abstentions) a major milestone on the EU’s biofuels journey has been reached. It’s been a rocky road, and lawmakers have finally agreed a text in the Renewables Directive that gives...
by Géraldine Kutas | Jul 9, 2018 | Sem categoria
Since December last year the closing of the EU-Mercosur trade negotiations has continually seemed tantalizingly just around the corner, but certain obstacles have proved stubborn in rearing their heads, stretching out the talks until the middle of 2018. Hope has...
by Géraldine Kutas | May 16, 2018 | Sem categoria
On 17 May representatives of the European Parliament, member states and the European Commission will meet to negotiate the provisions on biofuels in the Renewables Directive (RED II). This might be the last chance to find a compromise that ensures the future of a...
by Géraldine Kutas | May 3, 2018 | Sem categoria
The EU has the opportunity to close two major trade deals in 2018: with Mexico, on which it just reached political agreement; and with the Mercosur trading block, where an agreement lies tantalizingly within reach. The EU’s recent success in closing major trade...
by Géraldine Kutas | Apr 3, 2018 | Sem categoria
As every year, the 2018 edition of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture (FFA) which was held in Brussels last week was another impressive event. There are very few agriculture-focused events in Brussels of the same calibre that manage to gather such an impressive...
by Géraldine Kutas | Feb 21, 2018 | Sem categoria
The negotiators for the EU-Mercosur trade deal are doing an impressive job. This Tuesday started the third week of full time negotiations since the beginning of February, only interrupted by Carnival. The negotiators clearly see what they are fighting for and the...
by Géraldine Kutas | Jan 9, 2018 | Sem categoria
The European Parliament will soon vote on the recast of the renewables directive (RED II), one of the key elements of the clean energy package. RED II is critical in ensuring that we harness the potential of renewable energy effectively, and in decarbonising the...
by Géraldine Kutas | Dec 20, 2017 | Sem categoria
As we come to the close of a busy year, it’s worthwhile to take time to pause and reflect on everything that we’ve achieved this year. For UNICA it has indeed been an interesting and eventful year, full of activity on two key dossiers that are of critical importance...
by Géraldine Kutas | Nov 24, 2017 | Sem categoria
Next Tuesday the EU Parliament’s ITRE committee (Industry, Research and Energy) will vote on the Commission’s RED II proposal. This directive will provide the framework for renewables support in the EU and will be a critical element to ensure that the EU can fulfil...
by Géraldine Kutas | Nov 12, 2017 | Sem categoria
– Visit UNICA’s booth at COP23 in Bonn, Germany – Attend our discussion on how biofuels can fight climate change and promote sustainable development at the Brazilian Pavilion on 15 November at 14:00 CET with speakers from ApexBrasil, SE4ALL / Below 50, the...
by Géraldine Kutas | Nov 7, 2017 | Sem categoria
The EU-Mercosur trade deal is close to the finishing line and the final breakthrough might still come by the end of the year. This trade agreement between the EU and the four Mercosur Members – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – would be the largest...
by Géraldine Kutas | Oct 20, 2017 | Sem categoria
If Europe wants to get anywhere close to hitting its target of a 40% Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction by 2030, it will need to tackle transport emissions, which account for about 25% of total EU GHG emissions. To further complicate the issue, road transport is set to...
by Géraldine Kutas | Oct 2, 2017 | Sem categoria
There is hardly a single sector in the EU that is as protected as much as sugar. For decades the EU sugar beet industry benefited, together with other measures, of minimum prices and extremely high import tariffs. At a current international price for raw sugar of €255...
