New organic legislation

What will change?

Strict import rules

As there is no agreement guaranteeing that the organic standards of countries outside the EU are equivalent to the EU organic regulation, an organic product exported to the EU is checked against the European regulation. In this case, the rules are therefore exactly the same for an EU producer as for a producer outside the EU.

Expansion of the product range

A number of new products can now obtain organic certification. These include:

• salt
• essential oils not intended for human consumption
• natural gums and resins
• cotton
• wool
• untanned hides and skins
• beeswax and silkworm cocoons

Changes for crop production

Clarifications have been made regarding the origin of the seeds and plants used. In addition, farms are now required to grow legumes, as these are important for soil fertility. Note that non-soil-bound farming, such as hydroponics, remains prohibited.

Changes for animal production

The most notable changes relate to the rearing conditions for poultry and pigs. Animal welfare is now given greater consideration with regard to the layout of buildings and outdoor spaces. Restrictions are also being introduced on feed and the purchase of non-organic chicks.

Changes for food processing

The biggest change relates to the production and use of flavourings. Only natural flavourings with a 95% unique source are still permitted (for example, 'natural vanilla flavouring').

Labelling

Relaxations are being introduced regarding the origin of products: products bearing the label 'EU Agriculture' may contain 5% ingredients from outside the EU (compared with 2% today).

Limiting the number of certification bodies

Certification of producer groups is now possible in all countries. A stricter control is applied here: for example, the size of each holding and the number of group members are limited. It is possible that further changes will still be made to the new regulation.

Application date

The original application date of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 was 1 January 2021, but was postponed by one year due to the pandemic to 1 January 2022 in the EU. Outside the EU, the application date is 31 December 2024.

• in the EU, the current European regulations are repealed in favour of the new European organic regulation as of 1 January 2022. This regulation is a basic regulation and will be supplemented by additional acts. These will further detail and supplement the application of the regulation. Some acts have already been published by the European Commission.
• outside the EU, a transition period applies for operators. They can adapt their activity to the new regulation between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2024.

Want to know more?

We take a closer look at the changes to organic legislation during this training: Sustainability labels, 20 September 2022

Looking to obtain or maintain organic certification? Discover our support for quality labels and organic.