EU Eco-Regulation: First concrete rules available for comments

The new EU Eco-Regulation will still have to be complemented by numerous rules. The first of these were made available online for comments by the EU Commission.

The presented rules deal mostly with animal husbandry and the requirements for shortening the conversion period of land. In addition, the draft implementation regulation stipulates which information member states will have to collect and publish on organic crops. A completely new addition are the new rules on the keeping of rabbits and deer. The Commission's drafts are available for download at ec.europa.eu.

A quarter less poultry indoors

The changes in the animal husbandry are tough for organic farmers. For example, the draft regulation stipulates that the winter gardens in poultry houses will no longer be counted as part of the indoor space available. These additions, also known as cold scratching areas, are particularly species-appropriate: the animals can go outside when it rains, storms or snows outside, while remaining dry.

The EU Organic Regulation had not previously mentioned these winter gardens, but they are widespread in some member states, including Germany, Austria and Denmark. In all these states, it was previously regulated in such a way that the areas of the conservatories were included in the calculation of the indoor area and the resulting number of animals permitted. If this calculation is changed, the available indoor area decreases by 25 to 30 percent and fewer animals can be kept.

Stocking density difficult to control

One figure is omitted in the regulations on stocking density in poultry houses – with consequences. Previously, the regulations for keeping poultry for meat allowed ten animals per square metre of indoor floor space, with an added weight of a maximum of 21 kg. Now only the weight is to count, no matter how many animals there are per square metre. But how are inspectors supposed to determine the weight of the animals? Their number, on the other hand, can easily be found in the delivery papers and then be divided by the available indoor area.

Mass keeping of organic hens remains possible

When keeping laying hens, the draft makes clear that several compartments with 3,000 laying hens each may be accommodated in one hen house. This means that buildings with 30,000 or more organic laying hens remain permitted. The length of the open-air area should not exceed 150 metres, however up to 350 metres may be permitted if there are a shelters for the chickens available outside. Matthias Rackwitz, who has been campaigning against the large organic laying hen houses for years, calls this regulation "a document of failure". The German organic sector had insisted on limiting the outdoor area to 150 metres length for some time now – this would automatically limit the size of the hen houses due to the required four square metres of outdoor area per laying hen.

In pig farming, the Commission intends to significantly increase the necessary outdoor areas for breeding sows. In their comments to the draft, farmers point out that they would have to house animals out or extend new stables at great expense in order to meet the requirement. While the Commission would grant an implementation period until the beginning of 2026, the depreciation periods for stables are considerably longer. It will also become difficult for farmers who keep pigs or beef cattle outside and only have small shelters in the pasture. The new EU-Eco regulations might be the end for these particularly species-appropriate livestock framing systems because the EU Commission plans to no longer permit the previous compensation of indoor areas with additional grazing area. Transition period: zero. No transition period also means no chance to adapt the farm at all. This would lead to an immediate decline in organic piglet production of up to 25 percent, according to the German organic umbrella association BÖLW.

No more ion exchangers in processing

As far as processing is concerned, the Commission maintains its previous principle that it does not wish to decide on the admissibility of individual processing techniques. With one exception: ion exchangers. These have not been regulated in the past but will from now on only be permitted in the production of baby food.

Decision in January

The draft was open for comments until December 3^rd. Not the EU Commission is reading through the comments and working on a final proposal, which it will present to the committee of the Member States. There it will need a qualified majority to enter into force. The final decision is scheduled for January.

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