Brussels, 25/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 25 March, the European Commission presented its proposed new regulation on organic production and the labelling of organic products (see EUROPE 105). The concerns of consumers and producers are central to this new proposal, says the Commission, which wishes to “plug the gaps of the current system”.
Dacian Ciolos, Commissioner for Agriculture, explained to the press that demand (which has increased fourfold in ten years) was growing faster than supply (total surface area used for organic farming has only doubled in the EU). “Organic production has to remain credible”, said the commissioner. Organic is no longer a niche production, it is an important production sector in its own right, he stressed.
In recent years, the Commission has noted cases of fraud in the sector, “which raises questions as to the effectiveness of controls”, Ciolos acknowledged. Competition distortion has to be tackled (different implementation of the rules in different countries of the EU). The problem also stems from the many derogations included in the 2007 regulation. “Unequal treatment between EU production and products imported into the EU from third countries has also been observed”, the commissioner stressed. He pointed out that consumers are calling more and more for processed organic products, not just basic products.
In order to help farmers, producers and merchants in the organic sector to come into line with the proposed changes and face the challenges of the future, the Commission has approved the following action plan for the future of organic farming in Europe: - better information for farmers about initiatives under rural development and the European agricultural policy; - strengthening the links between European research and innovation projects and organic production; - encouraging people to eat organic products, particularly in schools.
Lastly, the Commission has asked the Council and the EP for a mandate to negotiate various agreements with third countries on the import and export of organic products. To sum up, the Commission is proposing to: - reinforce and harmonise rules applicable within the European Union and also the rules for imported products, removing most of the derogations on production and control matters; - stepping up controls, by basing them on risk analysis; - making it easier for small farmers to access organic farming by giving them the opportunity to join a group certification regime; - doing more to take account of the international dimension of the trade in organic products by adding new provisions regarding exports.
The secretary general of COPA-COGECA, Pekka Pesonen, stressed that the new rules “must not discourage new farmers from converting into organic farming nor existing organic farmers from continuing production”. He explained that, in many regions, farms often convert into organic farming in a series of stages. “Without the ability to adapt gradually to organic production, it will put the brakes on the development of the sector”, he said. The agriculture organisations argue that organic farmers “should not have to bear the costs for example of accidental contamination or residue analysis”. This situation would “greatly increase their costs, resulting in severe income loss”. (LC)