Brussels, 07/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 7 December, the European Commission's DG Agriculture and Rural Development called on all Europeans to vote (http://www.europa.eu/organic-logo ) in the last stage of the competition to design the new European organic logo (http://www.europa.eu/organic-logo ). The three pre-selected logos can be consulted on the site until 31 January 2010. The new logo aims to strengthen consumer protection and encourage organic farming. Unlike the current logo, the winning entry will be obligatory for all pre-packaged organic products that derive from the 27 member states and meet the labelling standards.
“Through this online vote, the European Commission wants to ensure that the new logo appeals to as many people as possible. At the same time, this open selection process contributes to the bigger objective of making people aware of the importance of the organic farming sector,” said Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.
According to the Commission, the new logo needs to: - represent the EU both inside and outside its borders; - be easy to remember; - associate the EU and organic farming without using any words or letters.
For this task, the European Commission involved design and art students from all over Europe by launching the EU organic logo competition, which took place from April until June 2009. A total of 3,422 future designers (average age of participants was 24) submitted their innovative proposals (554 came from Germany, 307 from Italy, 257 from Spain, and 218 from France). After the competition closed, an internationally renowned jury took the competition to the next stage by selecting the final three logos. The winning prize is €6000 (L.C./transl.fl)