Today, the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement in trilogue negotiations on the targeted amendment of the EU Organic Regulation. The revision aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU organic sector while upholding the high standards that underpin its strong consumer trust.
“Congratulations to Camilla Laureti, the European Parliament’s Rapporteur, Commissioner Hansen, the Irish Presidency and everyone who contributed to reaching this political agreement. This is an important step towards providing legal certainty for organic operators and avoiding disruption to international trade. Our priority now is to ensure that the agreement is implemented in a practical way and that the roadmap for secondary legislation will be delivered swiftly, in close dialogue with the organic sector. To strengthen the competitiveness of the organic sector, we need clear, stable and predictable rules, while safeguarding the high organic standards that underpin consumer trust.” said Eduardo Cuoco, Director of IFOAM Organics Europe.
IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes the resolution of the key issues that prompted the revision of the Basic Act. The political agreement achieves the shared objective pursued over the past year: finding a timely legislative solution to pressing challenges concerning the use of the EU organic logo on imported products and the continuation of equivalence arrangements with key third countries.
The agreed 10-year extension of equivalence agreements with 11 third countries, until 31 December 2036, gives the European Commission and its trading partners more time to negotiate future arrangements. It provides predictability to operators and helps avoid disruption to international organic trade.
While the revised rules on the use of the EU organic logo on products imported under equivalence will require adjustments for organic operators, particularly in terms of traceability and additional controls, the simplified provisions agreed in trilogue reduce the complexity of the original proposal. The transition period will also give operators time to prepare for and adapt to the new requirements. IFOAM Organics Europe also welcomes the removal of the proposed 5% exception that would have allowed the EU organic logo on products containing ingredients that do not meet the additional criteria. This helps protect the coherence and credibility of the EU organic logo.
IFOAM Organics Europe also welcomes that negotiators protected fundamental organic principles, such as the requirements for grazing of ruminants, that are essential to safeguard the integrity of organic production standards.
However, IFOAM Organics Europe regrets that the co-legislators missed the opportunity to establish more detailed rules for organic plant breeding, which would be an important step towards supporting the development of plant varieties suited to organic production systems and strengthening the sector’s long-term resilience.
Eduardo Cuoco continued: “Today’s agreement is an important milestone, but the work is not over yet. IFOAM Organics Europe calls on the co-legislators to proceed swiftly with the formal endorsement of the agreement, ensuring that the targeted revision can be adopted without delay. The next priority is to deliver the roadmap for secondary legislation, addressing the remaining challenges and ensuring that the revised framework is practical, coherent and fully aligned with organic principles. This is essential to provide long-term regulatory stability and ensure that EU organic rules remain fit for the future”.
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