The European Union and the United States announced that beginning June 1, 2012, organic products certified in Europe or in the United States may be sold as organic in either region.
February 17, 2012
The European Union and the United States announced that beginning June 1, 2012, organic products certified in Europe or in the United States may be sold as organic in either region. This partnership between the two largest organic producers in the world will establish a strong foundation from which to promote organic agriculture, benefiting the growing organic industry and supporting jobs and businesses on a global scale. The organics sector in the U.S. and E.U. is valued at more than $50 billion combined.
Formal letters creating this partnership were signed on Feb. 15 in Nuremberg, Germany, by Dacian Ciolos, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development; Kathleen Merrigan, U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary; and Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator.
“This partnership connects organic farmers and companies on both sides of the Atlantic with a wide range of new market opportunities,” said U.S. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Merrigan. “It is a win for the American economy and President Obama’s jobs strategy. This partnership will open new markets for American farmers and ranchers, create more opportunities for small businesses, and result in good jobs for Americans who package, ship, and market organic products.”
Previously, growers and companies wanting to trade products on both sides of the Atlantic had to obtain separate certifications to two standards, which meant a double set of fees, inspections, and paperwork. This partnership eliminates significant barriers, especially for small- and medium-sized organic producers. All products meeting the terms of the partnership can be traded and labeled as certified organic produce, meat, cereal, or wine.
Leading up to the announcement, both parties conducted thorough on-site audits to ensure that their programs’ regulations, quality control measures, certification requirements, and labeling practices were compatible.
Although there are small differences between the U.S. and E.U. organic standards, both parties individually determined that their programs were equivalent except for the prohibition on the use of antibiotics. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) organic regulations prohibit the use of antibiotics except to control invasive bacterial infections (fire blight) in organic apple and pear orchards. The E.U. organic regulations allow antibiotics only to treat infected animals. For all products traded under this partnership, certifying agents must verify that antibiotics were not used for any reason.
In addition, all products traded under the partnership must be shipped with an organic export certificate. This document will show the production location, identify the organization that certified the organic product, verify that prohibited substances and methods weren’t used, certify that the terms of the partnership were met, and allow traded products to be tracked.
Press release