The European Commission referred Denmark to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to comply with European Union law regulating illegal cheese exports, the commission said in a Nov. 26 press release. Companies based in Denmark are producing and exporting “white cheese” to non-EU countries after labeling it with “Feta,” the commission said, which violates EU law. Feta is registered as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and can only be produced in Greece, the commission said. The action is a “direct breach” of the protected designation and “Danish authorities have failed to prevent or stop it,” the commission said. The actions also may endanger “ongoing negotiations” between the EU and third countries surrounding trade deals that ensure protection of EU PDOs.

The European Union’s transfer of authority over its sanctions portfolio represents an increased focus on “stricter sanctions enforcement” and could potentially redefine the impact of EU sanctions, according to a Nov. 21 post from the Royal United Services Institute. The change, made by the European Commission earlier this month, transferred the EU sanctions portfolio from the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security to the Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (FISMA).

In the Nov. 25 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

In the Nov. 20-21 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The Netherlands is postponing a change in the definition for “exporter” until April 1, 2020, KPMG said in a Nov. 19 post. In October, the country’s customs authorities said it would “no longer be possible” for a person “not established” within the European Union to act as exporter in the export declaration, the post said. This change will affect companies established outside the EU, because they will be required to designate a person inside the EU to act as the exporter. The Netherlands initially said the change would take effect Dec. 1, but that window was “too short a time frame for many companies,” KPMG said.

The European Commission launched an online portal to provide businesses guidance on verifying actors in their supply chains and to aid with sanctions compliance, the commission said in a Nov. 19 press release. The “Due Diligence Ready!” portal will help businesses “check the sources of the metals and minerals entering their supply chain” and improve due diligence, the commission said. Specifically, the portal will help businesses identify whether their supplies are originating from human rights abusers who may be subject to European sanctions by providing access to training materials, guidance information and due-diligence requirements.

The European Commission will allocate the equivalent of about $250 million to fund 2020 promotion activities for European agricultural goods, with more than half of the funding going toward campaigns promoting exports, the commission said in a Nov. 19 press release. The funding will raise the competitiveness of the European agricultural sector and help during “market disturbances,” the commission said. The commission will target several export markets with “high-growth potential,” including Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and the U.S. The Commission said “eligible sectors” include dairy and cheese, olive oil and wine.

Italy introduced two value-added tax-related measures that are expected to be signed into law by Dec. 25, including a measure impacting VAT payments on fuel products in VAT warehouses and a change to the country’s frequent exporters’ scheme, KPMG said in a Nov. 14 alert.

In the Nov. 14 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its sanctions guidance for Venezuela with several amendments and changes to identifying information, OFSI said Nov. 13. The changes amend eight entries subject to asset freezes and correct identifying information for 16 additional entries, OFSI said.