Wine, organic pact between the EU and Canada

Canada’s Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan on Thursday the 7th of April confirmed the expansion of scope for the EU-Canada Organic Equivalence Arrangement (EUCOEA), as approved last month by the EU, is now in force, according to Canada Cattlemen (The Beef Magazine). The EUCOEA, as set up in June 2011, allows imports and exports of certified organic products between Canada and the EU, with no additional certifications required.

The arrangement at the time restricted imports of organic products from Canada into the EU, to cover only organic products that were grown or processed entirely in Canada. However, with the expanded scope announced on the 7th of April, Canadian organic processed products that are certified to Canadian organic standards and imported into the EU may contain organic ingredients from third countries.

Organic wine also wasn’t included in the EUCOEA’s scope in 2011, as labelling and wine organic production rules in the EU were subject to a review underway at the time. The EU adopted new rules on organic wine the following year. The EUCOEA’s expanded scope now officially covers organic wine so organic wine certified to EU or Canadian organic standards may be sold and labelled as organic in both markets.

The expanded scope is expected to benefit organic operators in both markets as it will cut down certification costs and boost export opportunities. The Canadian Organic Trade Association has previously valued the EU’s overall market for organic products at an estimated 23.9 billion euros making it the world’s second-largest organic market.