I. Introduction
Aoel formulated a range of objectives in its articles of association which will be further detailed in this paper. The members of Aoel have included their fundamental ideas in this paper. The formulations clearly demonstrate that AoeL's members are working to further develop concepts regarding organic food and to determine the direction that this development takes.

II. Basic principles
Company-specific experiences and procedures of Aoel member companies used for the production and sale of organic food are protected.

Statements and positions are developed through discussion between the partner companies in accordance with democratic conventions.

The association aims to fulfil consumers' expectations regarding organic food through further "ecologisation" of production and derivation processes and further development of the nutritional value of organic and ecologically produced food.

III. Process control
The processes, which include cultivation, transport, storage, processing, sale and consumption, and the measures followed as part of these processes, as well as their description, represent the core of the quality concept behind organic food.

IV. The concept of "organic food" is in constant development
The production of organic food is a process of continuous development. The existing guidelines in particular cannot be regarded as complete.

The level of quality achieved through the EU VO 2092/91 must be further developed in accord with the following objectives: Producing food that contributes to healthy nutrition in the most ecologically feasible way possible and ensuring a realistic organisation and development of the market.

Legal guidelines should be structured and elaborated in a way that enables implementation of meaningful guidelines regarding production procedures, further development of ecological quality and development of effective control procedures by means of practically implementable specifications.

V. Further development of food additive regulations
The guidelines regarding approved food additives and technical auxiliary substances should be further developed to enable production of high-quality ecological products in line with market requirements. This development of the guidelines should, however, protect the specific knowledge of pioneering companies in this market and stimulate further technological development of processing procedures in terms of ecological, largely additive-free production practices. The food additive regulations should be further differentiated on the basis of "necessity". With regard to this, dietary food should be considered independently due to its special characteristics.

Last but not least, consumers' demands regarding the "purity" and "integrity" of organic produce must be met.

VI. Clear rules with scope for action
The efficiency and issue of relevance of control procedures must be further developed and should include private commercial systems. Process control forms the basis of this process. In future, efforts to distribute burdens fairly must be increased (e.g. GM issue), and efforts should be made to integrate different control systems (auditing).

VII. Control under inclusion of companies' quality assurance systems
The efficiency and issue of relevance of control procedures must be further developed and should include private commercial systems. Process control forms the basis of this process. In future, efforts to distribute burdens fairly must be increased (e.g. GM issue), and efforts should be made to integrate different control systems (auditing).

VIII. Increased future integration of companies' environmental protection measures
The integration of additional subject areas and questions relevant to environmental protection and social responsibility into the concepts relating to organic food is being advanced through private-commercial agreements.