The far-reaching implications of the new EU Organic Regulation was the topic of a high-level roundtable discussion at last week’s Organic Food Iberia event in Madrid, writes Tomás Santos.
On January 1, 2021 the new European regulation of organic production will come into force, a new standard at community level that aims to harmonise not only the rules that govern the organic market within the European Union – but also its relationship with organic markets around the world.
This new regulatory framework was discussed at a round table at Organic Food Iberia. Hosted by Spanish organic coordination and certification body Intereco, the discussion saw participation of Iker Iglesias, member of the Board of Directors of Intereco, Alia Atita, of the General Directorate of Rural Development of the European Union, and Aurora Lobato, of the Hispano-American CIAO.
Under the new regulation, production rules will be simplified and harmonise ed further by the progressive elimination of a series of exceptions. The control system will be strengthened by stricter precautionary measures and robust risk-based controls throughout the entire supply chain. And, fundamentally, producers from third countries must comply with the same set of rules as those operated in the EU.
The new regulation fundamental regulatory framework and the debate promoted a lot of interest from the attendees of Organic Food Iberia – unsurprisingly perhaps, since much of the international exchanges and global trade that took place at the event will have to take into account this change in the regulatory landscape.
The harmonisation is expected to support healthy expansion of organic agriculture Europe. In fact, the data presented in Madrid by Alia Atita predicts a market in constant growth, and exponential development around the European Union, “but also in many other countries” where organic food is gaining more and more weight.
China, for example, is now the main origin of imports of certified organic products in the European Union. Ukraine, Turkey and India markets are also gaining in significance. Seeds, raw material for feed and unprocessed products from all over the world supply factories, supermarkets and European distribution chains for a growing range of consumers. South American countries are working in collaboration with European regulators, developing systems of mutual recognition with countries such as Argentina and Chile.
Photo: Organic Food Iberia, Madrid, was the venue for last week’s roundtable discussion