New rules to increase consumer trust in organic foodstuffs and
unleash the sector′s potential for growth were informally agreed
with European Council negotiators on Wednesday.
To increase consumers’ trust:
· Strict, risk-based controls along the supply chain that, on
Parliament’s insistence, will be on-site and for all operators,
at least annually or one every two years if no fraud is found in
the last three years.
· Imports to comply with EU standards: current “equivalence”
rules, requiring non-EU countries to comply with similar but not
the same standards, will be phased out within five years; to
avoid sudden disruption of supply, Commission could, for a
renewable period of two years, allow imports of specific
products, even if not fully compliant with EU standards (e.g. due
to specific climate conditions).
· Contamination with pesticides: farmers will be obliged to apply
precautionary measures to avoid contamination; in case of
suspected presence of e.g. a non-authorised pesticide or
fertiliser, the final product should not bear the organic label
until further investigation; if contamination was deliberate or
farmer failed to apply newly introduced precautionary measures,
it will lose its organic status.
· Member states currently applying thresholds for non-authorised
substances in organic food, such as pesticides, could continue to
do so, if they allow other EU countries’ organic foodstuffs
complying with EU rules to access their markets.
Four years after entry into force of this regulation, the
Commission would report back on the efficiency of the EU
anti-contamination rules and national thresholds and, if need be,
come up with a draft law to harmonise them.
To boost EU organic food production:
· Increasing supply of organic seeds and animals: better data
gathering on the availability of organic seeds and animals should
increase their supply to meet the needs of organic farmers.
Derogations allowing the use of conventional seeds and animals in
organic production would expire in 2035, but the end-date could
be pushed back or forward, depending on increased availability of
organic seeds and animals.
· Mixed farms: farms producing both conventional and organic food
would be allowed on condition that the two farming activities are
clearly and effectively separated.
· Easier certification for small farmers: group certification for
small farmers would make their life easier and attract more of
them into the organic farming business.
Rapporteur and chief EP negotiator Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA,
DE) will hold a press conference on Thursday at 09:30 on the
outcome of the negotiations (Anna Politkovskaya room - PHS 0A50).
More detailed information about the content of the deal are
available in the background note.
Quote
‟After 20 months of negotiations we have managed to reach an
agreement, which will help organic sector grow and will increase
consumers' trust in organic foodstuffs. It was a laborious task
but I believe new rules will bring benefits to both EU consumers
and organic farmers‟, said Martin Häusling.
Next steps
The agreed text now needs to be approved by the Agriculture
Committee, the Parliament and the Council before it can enter
into force. It shall apply from 1 July 2020.
Procedure: Ordinary legislative procedure (co-decision), 1st
reading agreement
Type of the document: Regulation
Further information
Watch the press conference
with EP rapporteur (live on 29.06.2017 at 09.30)
Profile of rapporteur
Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, DE)
Procedure file
EP Research: Organic
farming legislation (20 October 2015)
EP Research: Organic food
- Helping EU consumers make an informed choice (May 2015)
EP Research: Organic
production and the European Union (February 2015)
Committee on Agriculture
and Rural Development
