Revision Process 2017: Information about Article XX/20 about obligations and actions

Due to several reports there is a lot of uncertainty concerning article XX and 20 of the new organic regulation. Therefore we hereby offer some first technical information about the article, although the final legal text has not yet been decided on. The final legal
consistency check is still missing.

The existing organic regulation (art.91 of 889/2008) states the following regulations on the handling of suspected cases of non-compliances (...)

Statement from the AöL about baby food

Concerning the legally compliant interpretation of Art. 27 (1) f) of Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 in light of the decision by the ECJ (case C-137/13) and the Commission’s letter dated 29.11.2016

Since the coming into force of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs on 01.01.1993 (24 years ago), baby food of organic quality has been produced and sold Europe-wide and has become an important market sector in the European and non-European food trade.

AöL and Bionext, two leading organizations in the organic sector of the EU, take their responsibility and will expand their cooperation to develop and strengthen the risk based management systems for organic processing and trading companies. To realise their mutual aim they will take the following actions: Strenghten their cooperation in the further development and implementation of the Biotrust risk based management tool; Exchange knowledge and experiences about risk based management systems; Elaborate the cooperation between both organisations in creating an EU network of leading organic industry. Enlarge their cooperative effort to improve the organic regulation and enforce a harmonized implementation thereof.

As organic moves beyond a niche, the organic movement needs to take stocks of what organic has become and what the future holds for us all. The movement needs to be prepared to cope with future political developments, environmental challenges and market trends. IFOAM EU initiated a participatory vision process to prepare the movement to proactively face the future. The AöL ist member of the IFOAM and helped to develope the vision.

We have been taking time to collectively set our own agenda, aiming towards a vision for organic in Europe to 2030. Our aim is to define where the organic sector and movement want to be in 2030 and what strategies are needed to get there.