MEPs put the breaks on organic-food law

"Organic farming is an important sector with some €13-14 billion turnover and the tendency is increasing. In order to the sector to reach its full potential, it needs an appropriate regulatory framework, and that is what we are trying to do with this new regulation," said Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel. "Following intensive Council and Parliament discussions on the regulation in 2006 some elements that proved to be very sensitive have now completely disappeared from the proposal. These include prohibition on higher claims, the mutual recognition of private standards by inspection bodies and the EU-ORGANIC indication.

"The EP is calling for the legal basis of the proposal to be changed both to provide coherency for EU organics rules (by including restaurants and caterers in the same legislation) and to ensure that the Parliament has a role in defining the crucial 'implementing rules', which will specify authorised substances and what practises can be allowed in organic farming. It is vital that the EP can keep an eye on these important rules to ensure that the high standards of organics in terms of health and sustainable production can be maintained," said Marie-Hélène Aubert (FR, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance), rapporteur of the Parliament report. 

The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) EU Regional Group welcomes the fact that initially proposed restrictions on private logos and standards have been dropped from the proposal, "as they are essential to maintaining a dynamic and expanding organic food and farming sector".  

However, IFOAM adds: "A number of issues still do not reflect the opinion of the whole European organic sector. In particular, Commissioner Fischer Boel's promise to ensure better stakeholder involvement should be formally reflected in the procedures. The sector remains concerned about GMOs, the mandatory use of the EU logo, the inadequate link to the food and feed control regulation (882/2004) and the exclusion of catering and non-food products from the scope of the regulation." 

Environmental NGOs, such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have been urging MEPs, the Commission and member states to take all necessary measures to prevent genetic contamination of crops and condemn the fact that the new regulation "would allow traces of contamination and contains no measures to stop GM crops contaminating organic farms". 

"People buy organic foods in the confidence that they are 100% GMO-free. Opening the farm gate to GMOs in organic food will be going against consumer choice and accepting that big business can contaminate our food and decide what we eat," said Marco Contiero, senior policy advisor on GMOs at Greenpeace's EU unit.

The NGOs welcome the Parliament's vote, but warn that "the 0.1 % GMO contamination threshold should under no circumstances be used as a bargaining counter in the resolution of this conflict over legislative powers".