The European Commission (EC) approved new legislation designed to simplify organic farming and processing. The new EU rules will go into effect on July 2020. The regulation aims to harmonize the rule on EU production, ensure countries comply with non-EU organic production, reduce red tape for farmers and make it easier for new products to get organic certification. A number of new products, such as salt, cork and essential oils, will be covered under the new rules. It also allows group certificates, making it easier for small farmers to get certified.
The Commission said: “Many of the current rules are more than 20 years old, and need to be updated to reflect the major changes that have taken place in the EU organic sector over the last two decades. Organic is no longer a niche part of the EU agri-food sector as it was when the current rules were first drawn up.” The new rules will also apply to farmers outside the EU, replacing more than 60 standards that were considered equivalent and that applied to imported goods.
The EC plans to begin the process of establishing a legal definition of vegetarian and vegan food in 2019. The announcement was welcomed by the European Vegetarian Union (EVU), which has been lobbying the EU for a definition since 2008. “European consumers of vegan and vegetarian foods as well as their suppliers in production and retail will be able to rely on one set of rules for plant-based food. This will improve the positions of all parties involved in the food chain,” it said. Once the Commission finalizes its draft, member state representatives in the Standing Committee will vote for or against its adoption.
