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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.

The upward trend of the organic food market in the European Union (EU) continues. EU organic sales reached record highs in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has become an additional driver in further boosting organic sales.

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU), Great Britain (GB) is now outside of the EU single market and customs union, while Northern Ireland (NI) remains within the EU single market and customs union.

UK demand for plant-based meat and dairy alternatives has boomed in recent years, doubling in value from 2016 to 2020 to around $1.6 billion at retail. Plant-based foods tend to sell strongest among young and urban consumers who believe eating less meat is healthier and more sustainable for the environment.

This report provides information on Serbian regulations and standards concerning food, agriculture, agricultural products, and foreign trade. It includes information on labeling, packaging, food additives, and import procedures. In 2021, Serbia adopted the new Law on Regulation of the Agriculture Products Market and more than seventy by-laws that included different rules and ordinances.

This report provides guidance on the certificate requirements for agricultural and food products exported to Serbia and includes the certificates that are recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MAFWM) in Serbia and the relevant U.S. authorities (U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture/ Agricultural Marketing Service, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration).

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