Organic farmers, processors, traders and importers must meet higher but realistic
\nsustainability criteria and undergo strict food fraud checks to boost trust in the EU
\norganic label, said agriculture MEPs on Tuesday. They introduced measures to
\navoid contamination of organic food, including on mixed organic and conventional
\nfarms, and endorsed plans to help small farmers turn organic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are satisfied with our position before trialogues. But we know that all this will only<\/em> Contrary to the Commission\u2019s original proposal, the agriculture committee insisted that MEPs introduced new precautionary measures to increase the accountability of operators If deemed necessary the Commission could, after 2020, come up with a legislative The committee scrapped the Commission\u2019s plans to do away with mixed farms, i.e. farms The committee supported the Commission\u2019s initial proposal to ensure that all imported The agriculture committee approved the draft text by 33 votes to 4, with 7 abstentions. It Procedure: Ordinary legislative procedure (co-decision), 1st reading, committee vote on a<\/em> Organic farmers, processors, traders and importers must meet higher but realistic sustainability criteria and undergo strict food fraud checks to boost trust in the EU organic label, said agriculture MEPs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[36],"class_list":["post-256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-eu"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nwork in practice if all operators involved take responsibility to make organic farming work<\/em>
\nbetter,<\/em>\u201d said the rapporteur, Martin H\u00e4usling (Greens\/EFA, DE), who will lead Parliament\u2019s
\nnegotiating team during the talks with the Council on the final wording of the new organic
\nlaw.<\/p>\nStrict controls: annual, risk-based and throughout the supply chain<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\norganic farming requires a tailored controls regime along the entire chain to avoid food
\nfraud. MEPs backed the Commission\u2019s plans to make controls more risk-based but
\nrefused to give up on at least an annual, physical, on-site check on all organic farms.
\nMember states should also ensure the traceability of each product at all stages of
\nproduction, preparation and distribution to give guarantees to consumers that the organic
\nproducts they buy are truly organic.<\/p>\nPrecautionary measures instead of specific thresholds for pesticides<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nthroughout the organic supply chain and avoid the use of non-authorised techniques. If the
\nEU\u2019s organic production rules are breached or the presence of, for example, a nonauthorised
\npesticide is suspected, the final product should not bear the organic label until
\nfurther investigations have been completed. The product can only be sold as an organic
\nproduct if it is clear, after proper examination, that the contamination was unavoidable and
\nthe organic farmer had applied all the precautionary measures.<\/p>\n
\nproposal to set maximum thresholds for non-authorised substances and farmers\u2019
\ncompensation for unavoidable contamination.<\/p>\nBoosting EU production: strictly regulated mixed farms and group certification<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nproducing both conventional and organic food, on condition that their conventional farming
\nactivities are clearly separated and differentiated from organic farming ones. They also
\nbacked group certification for small farmers to make their lives easier and attract more of
\n1\/3\u00a0them into the organic farming business.<\/p>\nEnsuring imports comply with EU standards<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nproducts comply with tough EU rules. Current equivalence rules, which require third
\ncountries to comply with similar but not identical standards, should be phased out within
\nthe next five years. However, to avoid sudden disruptions of supply on the EU market, the
\ncommittee says the Commission should be able, for a maximum of two years, to adjust
\nimport requirements for some products which do not fully comply with EU standards,
\nbecause of climate conditions, for example.<\/p>\nNext steps<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nalso gave the rapporteur and his shadows a mandate (by 37 votes to 5, with 2
\nabstentions) to launch negotiations with the Council on the final wording of new legislation.<\/p>\n
\nmandate for negotiations with the Council<\/em>
\nType of the document: Regulation<\/em>
\nTuesday, 13 October 2015<\/em>
\nCommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development<\/em>
\nIn the chair: Czes\u0142aw Adam Siekierski (EPP, PL) <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"