Feb 15, 2012

U.S., Europe reach organic agreement

The European Union and the United States recently announced that beginning June 1, organic products certified in Europe or in the United States may be sold as organic in either region.

The organics sector in the United States and European Union is valued at more than $50 billion combined, and rising every year, according USDA.

Formal letters creating this partnership were signed Feb. 15 in Nuremberg, Germany. The signing took place at the BioFach World Organic Fair, the largest trade show for organic products in the world.

“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 Kathleen 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, according to USDA.

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 European Union organic standards, both parties individually determined that their programs were equivalent except for the prohibition on the use of antibiotics. USDA’s organic regulations prohibit the use of antibiotics except to control invasive bacterial infections (fire blight) in organic apple and pear orchards. European Union 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, according to USDA.

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, according to USDA.

The European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development and (USDA’s National Organic Program, which oversees all U.S. organic products, will both take key oversight roles.
For more information, visit www.ams.usda.gov/NOPTradeEuropeanUnion, or http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/home_en.