The European Union and the United States have agreed that from June this year, organic products certified in Europe or in the U.S. may be sold as organic in either region.
This partnership between the two largest organic-producers in the world will establish a strong foundation for the promotion of organic agriculture, benefiting the growing organic industry and supporting jobs and businesses on a global scale.
Organics sector in the U.S. and EU is valued at roughly EUR 40 billion combined, and rising every year.
Formal letters creating the partnership were signed on Wednesday by European Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development Dacian Ciolos, U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, and U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator Isi Siddiqui. The signing took place at the BioFach World Organic Fair, the world's largest trade show for organic products, in the German city of Nuremberg.
Ciolos 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 U.S. and the EU markets, strengthening the competitiveness of this sector. In addition, it improves transparency on organic standards, and enhances consumers' confidence and recognition of our organic food and products.
"This partnership marks an important step, taking EU-U.S. agricultural trade relations to a new level of cooperation," he added.
"This partnership connects organic farmers and companies on both sides of the Atlantic with a wide range of new market opportunities," said Merrigan.
"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 labeled as certified organic produce, meat, cereal, or wine.
Although there are small differences between the U.S. and EU organic standards, both parties individually determined that their programs were equivalent except for the prohibition on the use of antibiotics. The USDA organic regulations prohibit the use of antibiotics except to control invasive bacterial infections (fire blight) in organic apple and pear orchards. The EU organic regulations allow antibiotics only to treat infected animals. For all products traded under this partnership, certifying agents must verify that antibiotics were not used for any reason.
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. The European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program—which oversees all U.S. organic products—will both take on key oversight roles.
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