The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU has noted that the compromise text on organic farming was rather well received by the delegations on Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) on Monday 20 February, even though differences remain, for example, on thresholds for the presence of unauthorised substances (pesticides).
The Presidency submitted a compromise text on the issues still under debate, such as pesticides, seeds, annual checks and out-of-soil greenhouse crops (see EUROPE 11726). A large majority of delegations acknowledged that the text formed a sound basis for further debate. Discussions could become tense next week when the Presidency will formally seek a mandate from the SCA on 27 February to open talks with the European Parliament in mid-March and wrap up this issue that has been dragging on for over two years.
Pesticides. The text proposes flexibility in disqualifying products from being called organic because they contain unauthorised pesticides. The compromise suggests giving member states the flexibility needed to put in place their own national procedures for dealing with this issue. Several provisions have been removed (level of unauthorised substances, compensation regime, automatic removal of organic certification for products found to contain two or more unauthorised substances).
The delegations remain divided. Around ten backed the Presidency’s efforts to find a compromise. Several others (including Italy, Czech Republic, Belgium, Slovenia, Greece, Lithuania and Cyprus) have difficulty with the text proposed. France believes the text is moving in the right direction but could result in differing situations from one country to another.
Out-of-soil greenhouse crops. This is the other sensitive matter. The compromise text reached with the European Parliament in December 2016 provided for exceptions that would allow crops to be grown out of the ground (in containers) because of particular climatic conditions. The countries of the north of Europe argued for such an approach. Many delegations, however, are keen to retain the notion of crops grown in the soil.
To closely frame this arrangement, the Presidency proposes to set a geographical restriction on this type of practice, above 56 degrees north. At the SCA meeting, however, several delegations (Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Hungary and Denmark) criticised the provisions.
With regard to frequency of monitoring, a change of words is proposed, from “every 12 months” to “once a year”. The SCA was rather divided over this amendment.
Several delegations backed the (minor) changes on seeds. The slight change made by the Presidency with regard to imports, on conditions for authorising products and substances in third countries (changing the period for renewal of the authorisation from two to five years) was well received. The Presidency’s new compromise text on organic farming is expected only to contain minor alterations. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)