European Commission report on mirror measures
On 3 June 2022, the European Commission published a report on “Application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products”.
The report acknowledges that it is politically desirable and legally possible for the EU to take "autonomous measures relating to environmental or ethical aspects of the process or production methods of imported products[...], [reflecting] demands of European consumers who are increasingly becoming aware of environmental, health, social and ethical aspects of food production". The European Commission recommends the adoption of such measures on a "case-by-case" basis in European sectoral legislation. It adds that "In addition to the question of WTO compatibility, the case-by-case analysis of possible measures needs also to take into account the technical and economic feasibility of control mechanisms".
See the analysis by the Veblen Institute and the FNH
