The EU Commission releases draft antitrust exemption Guidelines for sustainability agreements in the agri-food industry

In Short The Development: The European Commission ("EC") has published highly anticipated draft guidelines ("Draft Guidelines") detailing a new antitrust exemption for agreements in the agriculture and food supply chain that target certain European Union ("EU") sustainability objectives. The Background: The EC's Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity strategies are key initiatives in the European Green Deal, which the EC claims will make Europe a fairer and more prosperous society with a modern, resource-efficient, and competitive economy. The Farm-to-Fork strategy aims to develop a "sustainable food system" that includes sustainable food production, processing, and trade. The Biodiversity strategy aims at reversing the loss of biological diversity. Looking Ahead: To support those Green Deal