Maria Simon Arboleas

Maria Simon Arboleas

@maria-simon.bsky.social

Agrifood reporter - Euractiv 📩 maria.simon@euractiv.com

267 followers542 following34 posts

Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

🍗 More water in poultry products? EU Commission says no 💦 The industry warns that current limits don’t match today’s breeds 🐓 But the Commission won’t move. “When you fry the breast in the pan, you can be disappointed…” Full story 👇🏼 www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

euractiv.comCommission refuses to allow more water in chicken meat | EuractivProducers say that the current limits don’t apply to today’s fast-growing animals
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

Featuring in Wilder’s short-lived coalition has hit the @boerburgerb.bsky.social - but not sunk it 🗳️ What’s next for Dutch farmers? 👩🏻‍🌾 🐄 The centrist coalition expected to form could put mandatory farm closures back on the table www.euractiv.com/news/farmers...

euractiv.comFarmers' party holds on in Dutch election after brief spell in government | EuractivBeing part of Geert Wilders’ short-lived government cost the right-wing farmers’ party seats, but not survival
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

🇵🇱 Polish govn’t accuses foreign supermarkets 🛒, global traders 🌾 of squeezing farmers 👩🏻‍🌾 @StefanKrajewski promises action but keeps expectations in check❕ “We are in a single 🇪🇺 market … it’s not like it was before 1989”

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

Poland’s farm price row turns nationalistic

dlvr.itPoland’s farm price row turns nationalisticAuthorities say one of the world’s largest grain traders abused its power
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

Cell-based #meat has been raising eyebrows for a while…🥩 Innovators say fish could be next to make a splash 👀 In Leuven 🇧🇪, a start-up wants to put lab-grown fish on Europeans’ plates by 2030 🐟 In Hamburg 🇩🇪, another aims to sell lab-grown caviar in Singapore in 2026 🍽️

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

First came lab-grown meat – now comes the fish

dlvr.itFirst came lab-grown meat – now comes the fishCell-based burgers have been attracting attention for a while. Now, innovators say fish could be next to make a splash
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

“I don’t think the #WTO should be too euphoric about this” John Clarke told @euractiv.com 🎣After 2 decades in the making, the deal has come into force - but is this just the beginning? Read on to learn about the fate of illegal fishing hotspots, such as Argentina’s "Mile 201" 🚢

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

Real battle over harmful fishing subsidies looms after WTO deal

dlvr.itReal battle over harmful fishing subsidies looms after WTO dealThe agreement targets hotspots for illegal fishing such as Argentina’s “mile 201”, near the Falklands

Maria Simon Arboleas reposted

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer
@nkurmayer.bsky.social

Read this empathic conversation @maria-simon.bsky.social held with the young folks heading out to sea in Spain -- a rarity for a dying profession. Unai Ruiz-Zeberio Almandoz chose the boat over 2nd division goalkeeping, while Alba Aguilera Olivencia (24) is 4th gen www.euractiv.com/news/swappin...

euractiv.comSwapping football for fishing, why some in Spain are heading out to sea | EuractivSailing out for tuna is an attractive prospect for some of the country's youth looking for a career
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

After his appointment, Rainer said that Germans were mature enough to decide what to put in their shopping baskets…. 🛒 … a few months later, govn’t advisors are handing him a report calling for a shift away from his cherished meat 🥩🍖🥓 What’s in it? 🗒️👇🏼

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

Germany’s ‘butcher’ minister told to push for greener diets

dlvr.itGermany’s ‘butcher’ minister told to push for greener dietsGovernment advisors in Germany are pushing for a shift in food policy to promote plant-based options and discourage excessive meat consumption
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

In 1929, Magritte painted “This is not as pipe” to argue that a label does not constitute the object 🎨 In 2025, Brussels is caught in a dilemma over representations and the defense of what is “real” 🌱🍣 🤔 Whether in art or at the supermarket, is a name ever just a name?

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

Fish joins meat in fray over veggie food

dlvr.itFish joins meat in fray over veggie foodFor the industry, selling a chickpea preparation as “no-fish” is crossing a line.
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

For the 🎣 industry, selling a chickpea preparation as “no-fish” or “salmon vegetarian alternative” is crossing a line But there is more: “Solmon”, “Salmonderful”, “Toona”, “Tunalicious”... the list is as long as the market is creative 🛒 Witty branding or bending the rules?

Maria Simon Arboleas reposted

Rapporteur
@euractiv.com

📣 Stay in the loop on the next EU budget 💶 🎢 Our reporters are covering every twist and turn, LIVE, of what is set to be the most important budget in EU history. 🔖 Bookmark and keep this link open, as we report on von der Leyen's proposal, and initial reactions. www.euractiv.com/section/econ...

Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

The COM proposal follows pressure from farm ministers and MEPs, but does not go as far as some were hoping… 🍽️ Among processed meats, only bacon 🥓 made it to the list seen by @euractiv.com 👀

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

Commission excludes ‘steak’, ‘sausage’ from crackdown on veggie meat labelling

dlvr.itCommission excludes ‘steak’, ‘sausage’ from crackdown on veggie meat labellingAmong processed meats, only “bacon” is included in the list of protected names.
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

Get ready for bans on using meat 🥩 names for veggie food 🍽️ - and new rules on cannabis cultivation 🌿 Details of the draft proposal 👇🏼

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

Commission targets ‘veggie steak’ labelling, proposes protections for hemp farmers

dlvr.itCommission targets ‘veggie steak’ labelling, proposes protections for hemp farmers“Specific legal provisions should be introduced to protect meat-related terms,” reads the draft, adding that such terms often carry “cultural and historical significance”.
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

As with farm subsidies, the COM plans to integrate fisheries 🎣 into the new single fund. Still, it is ready to meet one of the industry’s long-standing demands: lifting key restrictions on EU funding ⛴️ - we got the draft 👀

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

EXCLUSIVE: Commission to lift funding restrictions on vessel capacity

dlvr.itEXCLUSIVE: Commission to lift funding restrictions on vessel capacityUnder current EU rules, funding is off-limits for increasing vessel capacity or acquiring vessels over 24 metres in length.
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

🚨 Brussels will include the #CAP in a new single fund, keeping farmers’ income support ringfenced but scrapping the rural development pillar, according to a draft seen by @sofiamazzanaro.bsky.social and me ‼️ www.euractiv.com/section/agri...

euractiv.comEXCLUSIVE: Brussels proposes ‘single fund’ CAP but preserves farmers' direct support - EuractivEU plans CAP reform into a single fund, dropping rural development but keeping direct support for farmers.
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

Amid Italy’s pushback on CBD 🇮🇹, farm MEPs in Brussels press for EU rules on hemp 🇪🇺 Their idea? 👇🏼 🌿 EU-wide THC limit of 0.5% 🪻 Endorsing the use of “the entire plant” - so also the flower, which some countries consider as a narcotic… ⚠️

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

High hopes: MEPs push to free hemp from national bans

dlvr.itHigh hopes: MEPs push to free hemp from national bansEven as Rome looks restrict the use of hemp, a group of MEPs are pushing for a legal framework.
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

DK 🇩🇰will take the lead in negotiations at the Council, all while facing disputes with EU neighbours (UK🇬🇧, Norway🇳🇴...) and navigating sustainability challenges at home. 👉To tax or not to tax, that is the question 🤔 👉 Never ending fight over bottom trawling 🐟

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

Crunch time for EU fisheries as Denmark set to steer agenda

dlvr.itCrunch time for EU fisheries as Denmark set to steer agendaTaking the helm on EU fisheries, Denmark faces a tide of trade tensions and green challenges.

Maria Simon Arboleas reposted

jeremiaslin.bsky.social
@jeremiaslin.bsky.social

The EU Green Deal is under fire. As Brussels moves to roll back key green laws, conservative ministers from 9 German states (Länder) now want the Nature Restoration Law scrapped too. The Green Deal is increasingly turning into a red flag.

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

German states push to scrap EU nature restoration law

dlvr.itGerman states push to scrap EU nature restoration lawNine German Länder call for EU nature law to be scrapped, citing cost and red tape.
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

“In Ukraine, you have agri holdings that have 600K ha. This is 4 times the entire production of the member state where I come from!” (🇱🇺) said @christophehansen.bsky.social

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

EU farming chief calls for subsidy rethink amid Ukraine’s accession prospects

dlvr.itEU farming chief calls for subsidy rethink amid Ukraine’s accession prospectsChristophe Hansen says Ukraine’s possible EU membership would put pressure on farm payment model.

Maria Simon Arboleas reposted

Owen Morgan
@owenmorganeu.bsky.social

One month on from the EU-UK reset, attention turns to which products get carve outs from ‘dynamic alignment’ under the SPS deal Two candidates: Foie gras (Britain wants to ban it on animal health grounds) and smoky flavouring (EU to ban it on human health grounds) via @maria-simon.bsky.social

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

Foie gras and flavourings stir EU-UK food clash

dlvr.itFoie gras and flavourings stir EU-UK food clashThe UK's commitment to align with EU food rules in return for reduced checks includes a list of 'limited' exceptions – and foie gras could be on it.
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

A coalition of EU countries (including food heavyweights 🇫🇷,🇪🇸, 🇮🇹) will renew their push to ban the use of “traditional” meat names for plant-based products 🌱👇🏼

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

EXCLUSIVE: EU farm ministers revive fight over ‘veggie steak’ bans

dlvr.itEXCLUSIVE: EU farm ministers revive fight over ‘veggie steak’ bansThe names of dairy products such as “milk” or “cheese” have been protected by EU law since 1987, but the same does not apply to meat products.
Maria Simon Arboleas
@maria-simon.bsky.social

Politicians always find a way to claim victory after defeat... In case you missed it, my first The Brief went out yesterday 👇

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

The Brief – Fighting for the hearts of Polish farmers. Poland's government is trying to win back the hearts of farmers by claiming that their lobbying has "stopped the inflow of Ukrainian agricultural products”. But their overtures have fallen on deaf ears. http://dlvr.it/TL9GTn

Maria Simon Arboleas reposted

Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro
@sofiamazzanaro.bsky.social

The European Commission has confirmed that poultry meat from Brazil is no longer allowed into the EU following the country’s first outbreak of bird flu on a commercial farm, but Brussels doesn't rule out easing countrywide restrictions at a later stage. 👇

euractiv.comEU shuts door to Brazilian poultry over bird flu, considers future regional approach - EuractivThe EU poultry producers' association AVEC said the restrictions would hit the 300,000 tonnes of poultry meat  – mostly chicken breast  – that Brazil exports every year to the European bloc.

Maria Simon Arboleas reposted

Owen Morgan
@owenmorganeu.bsky.social

EUROPEAN FISH RUINING RESET LATEST🚨 UK found (partially) in breach of TCA over sandeel fishing ban. UK says error is "procedural", won't immediately reverse ban. This is precisely how TCA arbitration should work... but brace for mild bickering with Brussels, perhaps? ✍️ @maria-simon.bsky.social

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

Tribunal gives EU partial victory over UK sandeel #fishing ban

dlvr.itTribunal gives EU partial victory over UK sandeel #fishing banThe ruling highlights lingering divisions at a crucial moment for #EUUK relations, with a 'reset' summit planned later this month.