Copa and Cogeca ready for a new start after European Parliament’s vote on EU Organic Farming Review

Chairman of Copa & Cogeca’s Organic Working Party Kees Van Zelderen said “The market for organic produce in the EU has grown rapidly by 48% in the last 4 years and it is now worth around €30 billion a year. This trend is down to the increased consumer demand”.
 
“Despite this expansion, only 7 % of total EU agricultural area is used for organic cultivation. The difference between EU demand and production is covered by growing imports. We therefore want to ensure that future legislation on organic farming will help to encourage more farmers to grow organic, whilst maintaining consumer trust by keeping up the tight controls”, Van Zelderen stressed.
 
In particular, Copa and Cogeca believe that with good cooperation with the EU institutions, implementing rules and delegated acts can be adopted  that will ensure further development of the EU organic sector. The positive rules that have been kept in the future legislation will also ensure the growth of the sector . Mixed farms, for example, guarantee that new entrants can progressively convert into organic farming and it is good that this possibility has been maintained. In the new legislation, the simplified group certification scheme for small farmers will also help them convert into organic farming. In addition,  producers from non-EU countries who want to sell their products in the EU will have to comply with the same rules if there is no equivalence agreement between the EU and non-EU countries and  this will ensure fairer competition for EU producers.  
 
“Before entry into force of the new organic legislation on 1st January 2021, we will have to keep working hard in order to ensure a smooth transition and further harmonisation in the implementation of the technical rules with the adoption of well-tailored secondary rules on production standards, imports, labelling and controls”, added Van Zelderen.
 
Wrapping up, Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “EU organic farming is a European voluntary quality scheme which delivers public goods contributing to the protection of the environment and animal welfare. It has been continuously growing over the last 10 years. But if we want to maintain this trend, it is crucial that the economic viability of the organic sector is improved  while the organic sector is mainstreamed with a higher agricultural market share”. Formal endorsement by EU Ministers will now take place in May.