[USCC] Fwd: Organic Food Regulation in the European Union

[Jim McNelly]

>
>
>ORGANIC FOOD, FOOD LABELING AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE
>*   Organic Food Regulation in the European Union - On April 9, the USDA 
>Foreign Agricultural Service released an April 6 Global Agriculture 
>Information Network Voluntary Report, titled "European Union Organic 
>Products Stricter Organic Labeling Rules 2004," GAIN Report Number: E24064 
>- The report states in part that " ... Council Regulation 2092/91 has been 
>amended to prohibit, as of 1 July 2005, the use of terms suggesting an 
>organic connotation such as 'bio' or 'eco' on products which are not 
>organic ... Council Regulation 2092/91 provides for an EU wide protection 
>of certain terms used to indicate to the consumer that a food or feed 
>product has been produced in accordance with the EU's organic production 
>rules.  Council Regulation 1804/1999 extended the protection to the usual 
>derivatives of these terms.  However, regulation 1804/1999 also provided 
>for a derogation until July 2006, for trade marks using one of the 
>protected terms (e.g. Danone's 'Bio yoghurt') on conventional products on 
>condition that the trade mark had been registered before July 22, 
>1991.  To prevent any misinterpretation or misuse, Council Regulation 
>2092/91 has been amended to prohibit, as of 1 July 2005, the use of terms 
>suggesting an organic connotation such as 'bio' or 'eco' on products which 
>are not organic.  Only organic food products complying with the EU's 
>organic production will be allowed to display labels using EU organic 
>terminology ... The regulation does not apply to non-agricultural products 
>or products which clearly have no connection with the organic production 
>method.  The amendment, published as Council Regulation 392/2004, can be 
>downloaded from the Internet at
><http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2004/l_065/l_06520040303en00010003.pdf>http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2004/l_065/l_06520040303en00010003.pdf 
>... our website 
><http://www.useu.be/agri/usda.html>http://www.useu.be/agri/usda.html 
>provides a broad range of useful information on EU import rules and food 
>laws and allows easy access to USEU reports, trade information and other 
>practical information.  More information on organics can be found at 
><http://www.useu.be/agri/organic.html>http://www.useu.be/agri/organic.html 
>..." - Questions may be directed to the FAS office in the EU by e-mail at 
><mailto:AgUSEUBrussels at usda.gov>AgUSEUBrussels at usda.gov and additional 
>information about FAS publications is posted at 
><http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp>http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp 
>- The complete text of the report is posted at 
><http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200404/146105936.doc>http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200404/146105936.doc 
>
>
>http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200404/146105936.doc
>
>Voluntary Report - public distribution
>Date: 4/6/2004
>GAIN Report Number: E24064
>E24064
>
>European Union
>Organic Products
>Stricter Organic Labeling Rules
>2004
>
>Approved by:
>Christine Strossman
>U.S. Mission to the European Union, Brussels
>
>Prepared by:
>Hilde Brans
>
>Report Highlights:
>
>Council Regulation 2092/91 has been amended to prohibit, as of 1 July 
>2005, the use of terms suggesting an organic connotation such as "bio" or 
>"eco" on products which are not organic.
>
>Stricter organic labeling rules
>
>Council Regulation 2092/91 provides for an EU wide protection of certain 
>terms used to indicate to the consumer that a food or feed product has 
>been produced in accordance with the EU’s organic production 
>rules.  Council Regulation 1804/1999 extended the protection to the usual 
>derivatives of these terms.  However, regulation 1804/1999 also provided 
>for a derogation until July 2006, for trade marks using one of the 
>protected terms (e.g. Danone’s “Bio yoghurt”) on conventional products on 
>condition that the trade mark had been registered before July 22, 1991.
>
>To prevent any misinterpretation or misuse, Council Regulation 2092/91 has 
>been amended to prohibit, as of 1 July 2005, the use of terms suggesting 
>an organic connotation such as “bio” or “eco” on products which are not 
>organic.  Only organic food products complying with the EU’s organic 
>production will be allowed to display labels using EU organic 
>terminology.  The following terms, in any EU language, or their usual 
>derivatives or diminutives, alone or combined, will be regarded as 
>indications referring to organic production methods:
>
>- in Spanish:  ecológico
>- in Danish: økologisk
>- in German: ökologisch, biologisch
>- in Greek:
>- in English: organic
>- in French: biologique
>- in Italian: biologico
>- in Dutch: biologisch
>- in Portuguese: biológico
>- in Finnish: luonnonmukainen
>- in Swedish: ekologisk
>
>The regulation does not apply to non-agricultural products or products 
>which clearly have no connection with the organic production method.
>
>The amendment, published as Council Regulation 392/2004, can be downloaded 
>from the Internet at 
>http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2004/l_065/l_06520040303en00010003.pdf.
>
>Visit our website: our website www.useu.be/agri/usda.html provides a broad 
>range of useful information on EU import rules and food laws and allows 
>easy access to USEU reports, trade information and other practical 
>information.  More information on organics can be found at 
>www.useu.be/agri/organic.html. E-mail: AgUSEUBrussels at usda.gov
>
>Related reports from USEU Brussels:
>
>Report Number
>
>Title
>
>Date Released
>
>E24024
>
>European Hearing on Organic Food and Farming
>
>2/12/2004
>
>E23248
>
>Council Conclusions on the EU’s Organic Action Plan
>
>12/24/2003
>
>These reports can be accessed through our website www.useu.be/agri or 
>through the FAS website 
>http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp.
>
>end
>
>
>
>The above information was sent to you by:
>
>Jack L. Cooper
>Food Industry Environmental Network
>33 Falling Creek Court
>Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
>Phone: 301 384 8287 --- Fax: 301 384 8340
>E- Mail: JLC at fien.com --- WWW: http://www.fien.com