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Belgium is a Member State of the European Union (EU) and applies the certification requirements described in the European Union Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Certification Report. Products not yet harmonized are subject to Belgian national rules.

U.S. exporters of composite products will face new documentary requirements for shipments to the European Union after January 15, 2022. The new requirements are broken down into three categories of composite products: non-shelf stable, shelf stable with meat, and shelf stable without meat.

Consumers continue to perceive U.S. food products as high quality, wholesome and reliable, which has resulted in a continuous growth in demand. The U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force on October 31, 2012, and the United States – Panama Agreement regarding certain sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical standards affecting trade in agricultural products, of December 20, 2006, established simplified requirements for the importation of U.S. food and feed products.

On January 27, 2022, the Turkish government published a regulation (2022/1) that granted the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MinAF) the authority to restrict the export of twenty (20) agricultural products in order to decrease domestic food inflation.

U.S. beef exports into the EU’s High Quality Beef (HQB) quota had a hard time in 2021 as they suffered from the repeated closures of the EU hospitality sector from COVID-19. EU imports of U.S. beef decreased substantially after the end-of-year 2020 holiday season and only gradually increased throughout 2021 again

The U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force on October 31, 2012, and the United States – Panama Agreement regarding certain sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical standards affecting trade in agricultural products, of December 20, 2006, established simplified requirements for the importation of U.S. food and feed products.

Hungary is a member of the European Union (EU) and follows EU directives and regulations, including those relating to the importation of food products. This report provides an overview of food laws in force in Hungary that cover areas that are not yet harmonized.

Hungary, as a member of the European Union (EU), applies EU regulations to the imports of agricultural products. U.S. export certification requirements for most products destined for the EU have been harmonized. Products not yet harmonized are subject to national regulations.

On January 18, 2022, the European Commission launched a public consultation on biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics. Stakeholders have until March 15, 2022, to comment.

Portuguese cattle and swine sectors are currently restructuring to increase their domestic beef and pork production to meet domestic and export market demands. The meat sector is also working to open new strategic export markets, especially in the pork market.

Recent French decrees set specific targets for reducing single-use plastic package waste by 2025, including a mandate for reusing packaging, starting 1 January 2022. The decrees are based on the Circular Economy and Fight Against Waste Law which ultimately seeks to ban all plastic packaging by 2040.

The Bulgarian organic market continued to grow in 2021 with an estimated annual growth of 2.5 percent to $39 million. The main driver behind the growth was the stronger consumer focus on a healthier lifestyle and increased popularity for organic products perceived as healthful, which led to higher retail sales.