1. Use of the new EU organic logo
Christina Gerstgrasser
European Commission DG AGRI.H3
BioFach, 16 February 2012

3. Organic Food labelling
Private Organic standards ….
Other quality claims ……….
EU Organic regulation =
Food law  commercial brands ……….…. 3

4. old packaging material New labelling rules apply
EU Organic regulation
Transition period:
Products labelled before 1/7/ to be sold until stocks exhausted
End of transition
old packaging material
1 July 2012
New labelling rules apply
1 July 2010
AB-CDE-999
EU/Non EU agriculture
AB-CDE-999
EU/Non-EU agriculture 4

5. ORGANIC – IP protection
The term “organic” protected
If “organic” then EU organic logo:
Compulsory on pre-packed goods
Voluntary on imported products
Not exclusive:
National and private labels may be added
EU organic logo – registered trademark EU and worldwide

6. BENEFITS For consumers: Uniform labelling Quality assurance
Traceability
Enhanced consumer protection
For producers:
Uniform standard for all operators
Identity to the organic sector
Facilitating controls
Protected organic logo and names
For society:
strong bond between the rural and metropolitan sectors
improve and maintain rural landscape
Maintain quality standards
For environment:
Soil protection
Diversity of plants and animals
Animal welfare

7. The new EU Organic logo on products produced within the EU:
- compulsory for organic pre-packaged food
- voluntary for non pre-packaged organic food
must be accompanied by:
- code number of the control body (format AB-CDE-999)
- place of farming
(EU agriculture/ “country” agriculture)

8. The new EU Organic logo on imported products:
- Its use is optional
- Independent of import system applied
- When used:
Code number of Control Body
Place of farming
(Non-EU agriculture)

9. ISO code of the country where the controls took place
FR-BIO-000
UE/non-UE Agriculture
EU organic logo (the colour may differ)
Code number of the Control body
Indication of the place where the agricultural raw materials of which the product is composed have been farmed: ‘EU Agriculture/non-EU Agriculture’.
‘EU’ or ‘non-EU’ may be replaced or supplemented by a country in the case where all agricultural raw materials of which the product is composed have been farmed in that country.
ISO code of the country where the controls took place
Link with the organic production such as BIO, ECO, ÖKO, ORG…
Reference number of maximum 3 digits
Compulsory information

10. Code numbers of the EU control bodies
Member States attribute a code number to each organic control body and authority they have approved to operate on their territory
Code format: xxx
BIO, ØKO, ÖKO, ECO, EKO, ORG depending on the MS
Example: BE-BIO-01 CERTISYS

11. Code numbers of the TC control bodies
On imported products, it is an obligation to mention the code number of the control body or authority independently if the EU organic logo is used or not
Import regime
AB-CDE-999
Number attributed
Example
Equivalent third countries
ORG or
BIO or
ECO -0xx
by the competent authority of the Third Country
AR-BIO-001
Food Safety SA
Instituto Argentino para la
Certificación
Control bodies for equivalency
BIO-1xx
BIO-2xx
BIO-3xx
by the Commission
MX-BIO-104
CERTIMEX,
Certificadora Mexicana
De Productos Y Procesos
Ecologicos, S.C.
MS import authorisations
BIO-6xx
BIO-7xx
BIO-8xx
by the Member States
MX-BIO-620

12. The new EU Organic logo cannot be used on:
Products out of the scope of the EU legislation (hunting/fishing wild animals, cosmetics, textiles)
Containing less than 95% of organic ingredients
Products in conversion
Products for which only national rules apply

13. Key factors for growth:
Consumer awareness
Lack of knowledge, misconceptions
Clear agricultural policy direction
Research and Innovation
Alternatives and new techniques 13

14. Promotion and information

15. Web banner for Your website:
available in 22 languages

16. Promotion campaigns:
creation of an “umbrella” campaign for organic farming, aimed at supporting the national campaigns in the European Union.
July-December 2010 EU organic logo promotion campaign.
National initiatives and co-financed programmes.
Printemps Bio 2011
(co-financed by the EU)
Ich will Bio
(co-financed by the EU)
Why I love organic?
(co-financed by the EU)

17. UK: ‘There are lots reasons to love organic. What’s yours?’

18. Austria: Ich will Bio!

19. Italy: BIO sotto la casa

20.
France: Printemps Bio

21. Spreading rapidly and to be seen everywhere as from 1 July 2012…

22. Where to find more information:
Labelling rules
Logo design (for download)
User manual
Questions and Answers
Promotional material

23. Thank you for your attention!