(fra kommisjonsforslaget)

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal

Organic farming is a key element of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union. The share of land farmed organically has been steadily growing to 11% today. Consumers increasingly purchase organic food, recognisable through an EU logo and a common label. The production and labelling of organic products are governed by Regulation (EU) 2018/848, applicable since January 2022, and the delegated and implementing Regulations adopted on its basis. These regulations establish the detailed rules that underpin organic production.

In its judgment in Case C-240/23, the Court of Justice of the European Union concluded that, in light of the wording of Articles 30(2) and 33(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848, the context and the objectives of the legislation of which those provisions form part, neither terms referring to organic production nor the EU organic production logo may be used by products that comply only with standards merely equivalent to the production rules in Regulation (EU) 2018/848. It is therefore necessary to ensure that consumers are able to make informed choices when purchasing products from third countries whose organic production and control systems have been recognised as equivalent to those of the Union, as well as to ensure consumer confidence in those products and in the organic production logo of the European Union whilst ensuring fair competition within the internal market between products that fully comply with Union production and control rules and those that comply with rules equivalent to those Union rules.

Furthermore, given that the recognition of third countries whose organic production and control systems have been recognised as equivalent to those of the Union will expire on 31 December 2026 and that technical exchanges with those third countries with a view to concluding agreements on trade in organic products are still ongoing, it is necessary and urgent for those third countries to continue to be recognised until 31 December 2036 to avoid disruptions in the trade of organic products.

Finally, while Regulation (EU) 2018/848 provides a sound basis for a reliable and growing organic sector in the Union, it is necessary to make targeted adjustments to certain production rules to create a more efficient, effective, and user-friendly regulatory framework.