This Week in Hospitality & Retail — Brussels (#29, 2026)
Anti-dumping duties maintained: heavyweight thermal paper, citrus fruits; new food additive authorisations; olive oil marketing standards revised; EU-UK competition law agreement.
October 19, 2026 to October 25, 2026
Anti-dumping duties maintained: heavyweight thermal paper, citrus fruits; new food additive authorisations; olive oil marketing standards revised; EU-UK competition law agreement.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• ⚖️ EU Legislation
• 🤝 EU Council
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week
EU Legislation (Official Journal)
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/2298 authorises curdlan as a food additive
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/2298 of 16 October 2026 amends Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 to authorise curdlan (E 424) as a food additive. The regulation follows the EFSA opinion of 9 September 2024, which found no safety concerns for its use as a gelling agent, firming agent, stabiliser, and thickener in various food categories. Curdlan is produced by fermentation from Rhizobium radiobacter biovar 1 strain NTK-u. The regulation enters into force twenty days after publication.
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/2309 updates specifications for steviol glycosides
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/2309 of 16 October 2026 amends the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 concerning specifications for enzymatically produced steviol glycosides. The revision includes rebaudioside M produced via enzymatic conversion of highly purified rebaudioside A stevia leaf extract (E 960c(ii)) using genetically modified yeast K. phaffii CGMCC 7539. EFSA's opinion of 14 May 2025 concluded no safety concern for this amendment. The regulation enters into force twenty days after publication.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2311 maintains anti-dumping duty on heavyweight thermal paper from Korea
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2311 of 19 October 2026 follows an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036, maintaining a definitive anti-dumping duty of 15.8% on certain heavyweight thermal paper originating in Korea. The review covered the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, finding continued dumping and material injury to the Union industry. The regulation is binding in all Member States from the day after publication.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2327 maintains anti-dumping duty on citrus fruits from China
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2327 of 21 October 2026 imposes a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of prepared or preserved mandarins and related citrus fruits from China, following an expiry review under Regulation (EU) 2016/1036. The investigation found continued dumping at over 160% and material injury to the Union industry. Duty rates range from 361.4 to 531.2 EUR/tonne depending on the producer. The regulation is directly applicable in all Member States.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2319 amends anti-dumping duty for ceramic tiles from India
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2319 of 19 October 2026 amends Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/265 concerning the anti-dumping duty on ceramic tiles from India and Türkiye. The update reflects a name change from Varmora Granito Private Limited to Varmora Granito Limited, applicable as of 14 May 2025. The tariff code A013 remains unchanged. Any excess duty paid is subject to repayment.
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/2329 on monitoring N-nitrosamines in food
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/2329 of 21 October 2026 recommends Member States and food business operators monitor N-nitrosamines (N-NAs) in food, especially processed meats and fish, alcoholic beverages, and dairy. The recommendation follows EFSA's 2023 opinion, which identified health risks at higher exposure levels. Sampling should adhere to Regulation (EC) No 333/2007, and analytical methods should achieve low limits of quantification.
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/2335 on monitoring chlorinated paraffins in food
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/2335 of 21 October 2026 advises Member States and food business operators to monitor chlorinated paraffins (CPs) in food through 2026–2029. The recommendation follows EFSA's 2020 opinion, which highlighted a lack of data for robust risk assessment. Analytical methods and threshold values are specified for different food groups, with reporting to EFSA for database compilation.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2336 registers 'Flores Bajawa' (PGI) as a geographical indication
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2336 of 14 October 2026 registers 'Flores Bajawa' (PGI) in the Union register of geographical indications under Regulation (EU) 2024/1143. No opposition was received. The regulation applies twenty days after publication and is directly applicable in all Member States.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2339 registers 'Kopi Arabika Flores Manggarai' (PGI) as a geographical indication
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2339 of 14 October 2026 registers 'Kopi Arabika Flores Manggarai' (PGI) in the Union register of geographical indications pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/1143. No statement of opposition was received. The regulation enters into force twenty days after publication.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2341 registers 'Oliva Alta Daunia' (PDO) as a geographical indication
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2341 of 14 October 2026 registers 'Oliva Alta Daunia' (PDO) in the Union register of geographical indications under Regulation (EU) 2024/1143. Italy's application met all requirements and faced no opposition. The regulation applies twenty days after publication.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2337 amends 'Coteaux des Baronnies' PGI specification
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2337 of 14 October 2026 approves a Union amendment to the product specification of the protected geographical indication 'Coteaux des Baronnies' under Regulation (EU) 2024/1143. France’s application was published and received no opposition. The regulation applies twenty days after publication.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2354 sets formats for beneficial ownership reporting
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2354 of 16 October 2026 defines data formats for reporting beneficial ownership information, implementing Directive (EU) 2024/1640 and Regulation (EU) 2024/1624. The regulation aligns requirements for legal entities, arrangements, and nominees, and applies from 10 July 2027.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2342 updates conformity checks for monovarietal olive oils
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2342 of 22 October 2026 amends Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2105 regarding conformity checks for monovarietal extra virgin olive oils made from Koroneiki or Nocellara del Belice varieties. Member States must verify operators' compliance and operators must maintain documentation for recordkeeping and conformity.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2358 modifies olive oil marketing standards
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2358 of 21 August 2026 amends Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, adapting marketing standards for olive oil. It reflects International Olive Council decisions, lowers sterol limits for Koroneiki and Nocellara del Belice varieties, and mandates variety labelling for these monovarietal oils.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2152 sets Union handling fee for customs
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2152 of 21 September 2026 supplements Regulation (EU) 2026/2108, establishing the Union handling fee at EUR 2 per item for goods sold in distance sales to customers in the Union. The fee applies from 1 November 2026 and covers costs for customs supervision and digital systems.
EU Council
Council Decision (EU) 2026/2344 sets EU position for OIV resolutions
Council Decision (EU) 2026/2344 of 13 October 2026 establishes the Union's position on resolutions to be voted at the 24th General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). The decision authorises Member States to support draft resolutions on oenological practices, methods of analysis, and wine sector standards, with flexibility for non-substantive technical amendments.
EU Council: Recommendation on housing exclusion and Quality Jobs Act
On 19 October 2026, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council adopted a recommendation addressing housing exclusion, including homelessness. Ministers discussed expectations for the Quality Jobs Act and approved conclusions on equality as a factor in economic growth and competitiveness.
Council Decision (EU) 2026/2304 concludes EU-UK competition law agreement
Council Decision (EU) 2026/2304 of 9 October 2026 approves the Agreement between the EU and UK on cooperation regarding application of competition laws. The agreement, signed 25 February 2026, provides a framework for coordination, information sharing, and enforcement between EU and UK competition authorities.
Agreement between EU and UK on competition law cooperation published
The Agreement between the EU and UK regarding cooperation on competition law enforcement was published on 19 October 2026. It sets out mechanisms for coordination, information sharing, confidentiality, and periodic review between the European Commission, national competition authorities, and UK's Competition and Markets Authority.
What We're Reading This Week
- These are Europe’s cosiest cities to travel to this autumn, according to a new ranking: A new ranking reveals Europe's top cities offering the warmest and most inviting autumn travel experiences this year.
- Greece tourism: August arrivals up 2.6%, foreign visitors lead growth: Greece sees a 2.6% rise in August tourism, driven primarily by an increase in foreign travelers.
