EU agri-food exports reach record levels of €235.4 billion in 2024
The latest agri-food trade report published by the European Commission shows that EU agri-food exports reached a record level in 2024, despite ongoing global challenges.
EU agri-food exports amounted to €235.4 billion in 2024, a 3% increase year on year (+ €6.6 billion). The UK remained the primary destination for EU agri-food exports in 2024, accounting for 23% of total exports (€53.9 billion). Other significant developments in 2024 included increased exports to Switzerland (+ €653 million, +6%) and Japan (+ €458 million, +6%). Cereal preparations, dairy products, and wine led the list of products in the sector, while olives and cocoa products saw the biggest increases in value, largely due to price surges.
EU agri-food imports reached €171.8 billion, an 8% rise compared to 2023 (+ €12.4 billion). The UK, Ukraine, and Brazil remain the largest sources of imported goods. The most imported products in value include cocoa and coffee, notably due to continuously increasing global prices during the year. They were followed by fruit, nuts, and oilseeds and protein crops.
More insights and detailed tables are available in the latest edition of the monthly EU agri-food trade report.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari – Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Thérèse Lerebours – Tel.: +32 2 296 33 03)
The EU announces €41 million humanitarian aid for Africa and the Indian Ocean
The European Commission will provide an initial humanitarian aid of €41 million to the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region in 2025, an area simultaneously facing natural disasters and conflicts.
Mozambique will receive €17 million. Part of the funding will support the countrys efforts to cope with the aftermath of tropical cyclones Chido, Dikeledi, and Jude, which hit the country in December 2024, January, and March 2025. In addition to this emergency funding, the EU has also transported 60 tons of aid (shelters, household items, water, and sanitation) from the EU warehouse in Nairobi in response to tropical cyclone Chido.
An additional amount of €7 million will be provided to Madagascar, among others, to facilitate access to food, emergency education, and nutritional services, among others. €16 million will be used for regional and multinational programs, to help keep children in school, strengthen protection against gender-based violence, and boost responses to epidemics.
The EU will also provide €1 million to support the response to the ongoing cholera outbreak in Angola.
In addition to disaster preparedness, the EUs aid will help partners on the ground to provide vital aid (food, protection, water, shelters, sanitation) to people affected by natural and/or human-made disasters.
More information is available in our press release.
(For more information: Eva Hrnčířová – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Daniel Puglisi – Tel.: +32 2 296 91 40)
State aid Scoreboard for 2024 shows Member States focus on long-term EU priorities
The European Commission has published the 2024 State aid Scoreboard, providing a comprehensive overview of State aid expenditure in the EU in 2023. While overall spending dropped to €186.78 billion in 2023 from €243.27 billion in 2022, Member States channeled 73% of funds towards EU policy objectives, such as environmental protection and energy savings, research, development and innovation, and regional development. In 2022, this share was 49%. The total amount of aid spent on these key objectives increased to €136.78 billion from €119.98 billion.
The most notable reductions in spending were caused by the phasing out of crisis aid aimed to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This means State aid spending entered a normalization phase in 2023.
Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera said: “The State aid Scoreboard shows that environmental protection and energy savings are the non-crisis policy objectives on which Member States have spent by far the most State aid in 2023. Data confirms that State aid rules continue to support addressing global competitiveness challenges and the clean transition.”
A press release is available online.
(For more information: Lea Zuber – Tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774)
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