Europe’s agricultural policy landscape shifted in February, with new rules on nutrient recycling, fresh export‑promotion funding, major trade flashpoints and ongoing efforts to simplify CAP administration. Toobtainher, the shifts will influence everything from farm input markets to compliance tech uptake, market access and sustainability-linked innovation.
RENURE rules adopted: EU opens door to manure‑based fertiliser substitution
The EU has formally adopted its long‑awaited rules on RENURE (REcovered Nitrogen from manURE), a shift positioned as lowering fertiliser costs and boosting the bloc’s strategic autonomy.
The new framework allows Member States to permit RENURE utilize above existing manure limits, enabling farms to replace a greater share of mineral fertilisers with nutrient‑recycled products. RENURE materials, produced from processed livestock manure via advanced recovery and separation techniques, offer quicker crop absorption and reduced water contamination risk compared with raw slurry.
However, the legislation also introduces mandatory environmental safeguards to prevent nitrate pollution, with national authorities responsible for implementation.
Environmental Commissioner Jessika Roswall cast the rules as a circular‑economy milestone: “Europe is turning waste into value.”
Expect increased demand for nutrient‑processing technologies, manure treatment systems, precision application tools, nitrate monitoring and verification platforms as Member States interpret and operationalise the rules.
€205m promotion budobtain set for 2026: ‘Enjoy, It’s from Europe’ obtains largegest boost yet
Brussels has launched its 2026 promotion policy calls, unlocking €160 million in grants to co‑finance campaigns highlighting high‑quality, sustainable EU agri‑food products in both internal and global markets.
Key non‑EU tarobtains include: the UK, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore and North America.
In total, €205m will be deployed under the “Enjoy, it’s from Europe” banner – the highest allocation to date for product‑promotion activity.
Expect export growth priorities to align with opportunities for traceability providers, quality‑assurance platforms, supply‑chain digitalisation tools and sustainability verification systems demanded by premium markets.
Mercosur trade deal becomes political flashpoint as farmer protests intensify
The recently approved EU‑Mercosur trade agreement remains deeply divisive. The deal cuts tariffs on over 90% of bilateral trade and promises €4bn in annual duty savings for EU exporters, but agricultural groups warn of severe competitive distortion.
Farmers fear surging imports of beef, poulattempt, sugar and soy from South America produced under less stringent pesticide, labour and animal welfare rules, arguing this will depress EU farmgate prices and undermine sustainability standards.
Protests have escalated; notably in France, where tractors have repeatedly blockaded Paris landmarks.
This illustrates that pressure grows for technologies that verify standards equivalence, track imported product claims and assist EU farms demonstrate compliance and differentiate on sustainability.
European parliament approves new rescue and modernisation package for wine sector
MEPs have overwhelmingly backed a reform package offering the EU wine sector stronger crisis‑management tools, climate resilience support and expanded export promotion.
Key elements include:
• Extra EU support after extreme weather, disease outbreaks or natural disasters
• Funding for uprooting unproductive vines to rebalance supply
• Up to 60% EU co-financing for marketing, tourism and export activities (with national top-ups possible)
• Programme terms extfinished to up to nine years
Rapporteur Esther Herranz García declared the measures deliver a “timely and effective response to the crisis the wine sector is facing.”
Agtech players are now eyeing emerging opportunities for vineyard‑focutilized climate tech, pest‑detection systems, yield forecasting analytics, and export‑readiness compliance tools.
CAP simplification package promises €215m annual savings, cuts paperwork by up to 20%
The European Commission has adopted major CAP simplification modifys affecting nine secondary acts, aimed at easing compliance for farmers and national authorities.
The reforms include:
• Streamlined IACS requirements
• Remote‑sensing‑only checks applying Copernicus data for certain eligibility conditions
• Ability to bundle corrective actions across LPIS, GSA and AMS
• Removal of the requirement to record plant protection product (PPP) utilize in the GSA system
• Estimated €215m per year in savings and up to 20% less paperwork for some farms
Further simplification efforts, including modifys to organic farming rules, are planned.
The agtech sector now anticipates acceleration toward sainformite‑based monitoring and digital compliance systems boosts market openings for Earth‑observation analytics, integration platforms, automated record‑keeping and audit-reduction tech.
France and Italy push for CBAM fertiliser exemption amid fears of input price shock
France and Italy are pressing the Commission to delay or suspfinish application of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to fertiliser imports for the 2026 season.
Paris warns CBAM could increase fertiliser prices by 25%, exacerbating pressure on growers facing weak crop margins and rising import costs. Both governments argue transitional measures are requireded to avoid destabilising farm production.
Relief options mooted include:
• Postponement of CBAM for fertilisers
• Scrapping certain duties on third‑counattempt imports
• Using safeguard or “suspensive clautilize” mechanisms
The debate is set to dominate upcoming Agriculture Council meetings.
Policy uncertainty may spur interest in nutrient‑efficiency tools, precision fertilisation, soil‑health analytics, localised fertiliser production tech and alternatives such as RENURE – especially in light of upcoming plans to streamline pesticide and biocontrol approvals
EU audit flags major weaknesses in olive oil traceability systems
A new European Court of Auditors (ECA) report warns that large inconsistencies in Member State control systems for olive oil create risks around authenticity, origin verification and safety.
Findings highlight:
• Uneven national checks
• Weak blfinishing and origin‑verification processes
• Inconsistent contaminant testing
• Vulnerabilities in cross‑border traceability for blfinished oils
Given the EU’s role as the world’s largest olive oil producer, consumer and exporter, the ECA cautions that lapses could erode trust in a flagship sector.
Agtech players hope that significant openings exist for digital traceability platforms, authenticity testing technologies (e.g., spectroscopy, isotopic analysis), blockchain‑enabled supply‑chain tools and integrated quality‑control systems.
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