The European Parliament has voted to raise the THC limit for industrial hemp from 0.2% to 0.3% and to allow hemp and hemp-derived products to be subject to European Union marketing standards.

The votes last week also resulted in these three amendments to the European Union's massive agricultural subsidy programme.

While the European Parliament does not have the final say in revising agricultural policy, hemp activists in Europe applauded the overwhelming vote to bring European THC limits for hemp in line with those in the US.

"Raising THC levels would allow new varieties to enter the market and be bred, leading to better adaptation of crops to the climatic conditions of different EU areas," the European Industrial Hemp Association said in a statement on Monday.

The votes were held to determine the European Parliament's position on the proposed reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, which will determine how European Union farm subsidies are implemented after 2020. The amendments affecting the hemp industry include:

- Amendments 8 and 93, which would raise the THC limit for hemp plants in the field from the current 0.2% to 0.3%.

- Amendment 234, which would include hemp in the sectors covered by EU marketing standards, allowing the establishment of criteria for the classification of products, their appearance, consistency, product characteristics and restrictions on the use of certain substances and practices.

The power to adopt and amend legislation and to decide on the EU budget is divided between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. Members of the European Parliament are directly elected by voters in EU countries.

Trilateral talks with Parliament, Council and Commission negotiators on the future EU agricultural policy are likely to begin in mid-November, although the timetable has yet to be confirmed, European Parliament press officer Jan Jakubov told Hemp Industry Daily.