18.02.2012

Organic products

The EU Agriculture and Rural Development office and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have signed an pact to work together  to promote strong organic programs, protect organic standards, enhance cooperation, and facilitate trade in organic products. Officials from both agencies said the partnership will expand market access for organic producers and companies by reducing duplicative requirements and certification costs on both sides of the ocean while continuing to protect organic integrity.

The pact will open up free flowing trade, starting June 1 this year, of certified organic products that meet the terms of the new arrangement. The agreement also stipulates the  EU will recognize the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) as equivalent to the EU Organic Program, allowing USDA certified products to be marketed as organic in EU nations; the United States will, in turn, allow products certified through the EU program as organic in the United States.

Among the requirements for accessing each others markets, products entering the United States must not have been created from animals administered antibiotics; and products entering the European Union must not be made from apples or pears subject to antibiotic use to control fire blight. To facilitate trade, the EU and United States have agreed to work together to promote electronic certification of import transaction certificates.

The arrangement is limited to organic products of U.S. or EU origin produced, processed or packaged within these jurisdictions. Additionally, both programs have agreed to exchange information on animal welfare issues, and on methods to avoid contamination of organic products from genetically modified organisms. In addition, general country labeling requirements must still be met.