At long last we are seeing the EU take a clearer view of how European farmers can survive and compete in a world more focussed on national budgets and defence needs rather than developing new cash supports for farmers. The last few months have been notable for several advances in EU policy.

The first was the long-awaited clearance for the new technology allowing new plant varieties to be produced with the aid of transfers of genetic material from plants of the same species. It is not quite full GMO authorisation that is common in most parts of the world but nevertheless important progress.

The second issue that has been sensibly tackled is the EU ban on Brazilian beef until it demonstrably meets EU standards. It is worth noting that both the UK and the US intend to increase imports of beef from Brazil.

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In the US case, the announcement made just last week has horrified Donald Trump’s natural farming supporters but with record beef prices and mid-term elections looming, political expediency wins.

But probably the most significant potential development has been the study carried out to look at the importation of grain produced with chemicals banned in the EU.

Under last year’s Vision for Agriculture and Food in the EU report, which set out a long-term view on how European agriculture should develop, a commitment was given that products produced with the use of active ingredients banned in Europe should not be allowed to enter the EU.

Up to now, they simply had to meet a “maximum residue level” which led to vigorous complaints that cereal, vegetable and fruit growers faced competition that was fundamentally unfair.

At last this has been recognised.

While the legal wheels will grind slowly, the course for real change would seem to be set.

One of the inevitable complications will be the logical question as to whether livestock products, produced with the aid of feed treated with banned chemicals, will be allowed onto the EU market.

This issue has already been tackled in the case of hormone-produced beef where compensation for the ban on market access to the EU has been agreed, but that discussion is down the road.

In the meantime, the initial battle to ban products treated with banned chemicals from entering Europe has to be won and implemented.