On 15 February, the European Union and United States announced that beginning 1 June 2012, organic products certified in either Europe or the US may be sold as organic in both regions.
This partnership between the two largest organic-producers in the world will establish a strong foundation from which to promote organic agriculture, benefiting the growing organic industry and supporting jobs and businesses on a global scale.
The organics sector in the US and the EU is valued at roughly €40 billion combined and rising every year.
Formal letters creating the partnership were signed in Germany, which took place at the BioFach World Organic Fair, the world's largest trade show for organic products.
Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Dacian Cioloş said: "This agreement comes with a double added value. On the one hand, organic farmers and food producers will benefit from easier access, with less bureaucracy and less costs, to both the US and the EU markets, strengthening the competitiveness of this sector…This partnership marks an important step, taking EU-US agricultural trade relations to a new level of co-operation."
US Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan also shared Cioloş’ positive outlook: “This partnership connects organic farmers and companies on both sides of the Atlantic with a wide range of new market opportunities. 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,” she said.
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 labelled as certified organic produce, meat, cereal, or wine.
Although there are small differences between the organic standards, both parties individually determined that their programmes were equivalent except for the prohibition on the use of antibiotics; certifying agents must verify that antibiotics were not used for any reason.
In addition, all products traded under the partnership must be shipped with an organic export certificate.
Both parties are committed to ensuring that all traded organic products meet the terms of the partnership, retaining their organic integrity from farm to market
Each side will continue to have regular discussions and will review each other’s programmes periodically to verify that the terms of the partnership are being met. Additionally, both programmes will share technical information and best practices on an ongoing basis to further enhance the integrity of organic crops and livestock production systems.
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