EU Organic Regulations confirmed

On 20 November 2017 member states represented in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) endorsed the deal on the overhaul of existing rules on organic production and labelling of organic products, for which a provisional agreement with the European Parliament had been reached on 28 June.

The majority of EU states (19) have voted in favor of a new organic law. Germany abstained from the informal vote in the Special Committee on Agriculture. This Wednesday (22.11) the vote in the Agricultural Committee of the European Parliamen will follow.

"The new EU rules set more modern and uniform rules across the EU with the aim of encouraging the sustainable development of organic production in the EU", explained a press release of the European Parliament. "The new rules also aim to guarantee fair competition for farmers and operators, prevent fraud and unfair practices and improve consumer confidence in organic products."

Next steps following are the approval by the SCA, the spokesperson of the SCA will send a letter to the chairperson of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. That letter will indicate that, if the Parliament adopts at its plenary session the compromise text as approved by the SCA, the Council will adopt the same text in first reading without amendments. The new regulation will apply from 1 January 2021.

www.consilium.europa.eu/p