News
September 2024 newsletter - embracing productive months ahead
We just published our post-summer newsletter edition. Wondering what’s in it for you? Here are a few highlights you might…
Advisory services & advisors, join our OrganicAdviceNetwork
We invite agricultural and rural advisory services and advisors with interest and competences in organic agriculture to join the OrganicAdviceNetwork.…
17/09/2024
Organic regulations
Regulation updates: De-alcoholised wine, use organic logo, certificates, compliance & aquaculture
Following the summer break, there are a number of updates on the EU Organic Regulation. From new legal initiatives to…
16/09/2024
Plant health care
Task force on biocontrol starts its work
IFOAM Organics Europe’s new Task Force on Biocontrol will take up its work in September. The group will discuss this…
20/08/2024
Organic regulations
New project will benefit organic operators & contribute to fairer EU Organic Regulation
In June 2024, we kicked off an exciting two-year project that will produce important information for most organic operators! Our…
Driving organic growth? OrganicTargets4EU analysis of CAP Strategic Plans
The OrganicTargets4EU project analysed current organic agricultural and aquaculture policies, revealing increased support for organic agriculture following legislative initiatives by…
EU Organic Regulation updates: FAQ on organic rules & second list of compliant control bodies
The Commission has updated its Frequently asked questions on organic rules with new topics. It now also clarifies questions on:…
Welcome back, Ms von der Leyen. EU organic looks forward to continue transforming our rural areas & food systems
BRUSSELS, 18 JULY 2024 – The European organic movement congratulates Ursula von der Leyen on her re-election as President of…
08/07/2024
Organic regulations
Pesticide residue management in organic products
Our food supply includes conventional agricultural systems using synthetic pesticides and other agrochemical products. As our agricultural systems are open…
CDG meeting on organic farming: Agroforestry, plant protection & compliance
Organic stakeholders exchanged with the Commission on synergies between agroforestry and organic, plant protection products and the regulatory switch from…
01/07/2024
Organic regulations
First list of control bodies recognised for compliance published
The first list of control bodies (CBs) recognised for compliance regarding imports from third countries was published in the EU’s…
Positive steps for EU’s resilience in Council decisions on nature restoration, soil monitoring law & green claims
On 17 June, European legislation on soil, nature, and environmental labelling took a few steps forward as the Council of…
Read our June newsletter! Here's what you can expect.
We just published our latest newsletter, the last one before the European elections and the summer break. Wondering what’s in…
Open webinar on biodiversity management in organic greenhouses
We are organising a series of free and open webinars relevant to organic farming as part of our involvement in…
Join our network of advisory services and advisors – OrganicAdviceNetwork
External advisory services and advisors with organic competences or an interest in organic are invited to join the OrganicAdviceNetwork project’s…
31/05/2024
Plant health care
Policies should promote uptake of biocontrol
The European organic movement and international biocontrol manufacturers call on the European Commission to ensure faster registration and uptake of…
30/05/2024
Organic regulations
Civil dialogue group about plant protection products & imports
On 24 May, the European Commission held a Civil Dialogue Group (CDG) on organic farming. While the many stakeholder present…
Starting the first European network of organic advisors
Last April, 18 European project partners of the OrganicAdviceNetwork project met for three days planning the first steps to set-up…
Organic Farm Knowledge: Free, online knowledge exchange for organic food & farming
Organic and agroecological farming systems are knowledge-intensive and rely on a two-way approach. Research priorities are based on farmers’ needs…
08/05/2024
Fairness & transparency
Commission's proposed measures on unfair trading practices
In April 2024, the European Commission unveiled its non-paper Position of farmers in the food supply chain: next steps. In…
26/04/2024
Plant health care
IBMA and IFOAM Organics Europe call for policies to promote the uptake of biocontrol
IFOAM Organics Europe and the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) call for policies to promote the uptake of safe, environmentally…
Soil health and global food security – Organic & biocontrol’s contribution
On 25 April 2024, high-level experts and policymakers deliberated the different areas regarding biocontrol, organic soil health and research and…
OrganicTargets4EU: Unlocking the potential of AKIS for the organic sector
The EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy set the ambitious target of reaching 25% of agricultural land…
Nature restoration in jeopardy – Member States’ Environment Ministers endanger another EU law
After reaching a trilogue agreement on the Nature Restoration Law last November, adoption of a piece of European Union legislation…
Organics Europe's stance on Member State's efforts to delay anti-deforestation law (EUDR)
Some EU Member States, spearheaded by Austria and endorsed by Finland, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden, are trying to weaken…
Proposal integrated Plant Reproductive Material Regulation improves after Parliament’s inputs
The EU is revising legislation on plant reproductive material, such as seeds, cuttings, trees, roots, tubers, and clones. Currently, rules…
14/03/2024
Organic regulations
Insights in international trade for EU and third country operators
On Monday 11 March, the European Organic Certifiers Council (EOCC) and IFOAM Organics Europe united experts providing insights into two…
OrganicAdviceNetwork project, the first Europe-wide network for organic advisors, starting soon!
As the EU Farm-to-Fork Strategy aims to achieve 25% of organic farmland in the EU by 2030, new organic farmers…
New faces and new projects in the Research & Innovation Unit
A new year means new research and innovation (R&I) projects! Several new Horizon Europe projects in which IFOAM Organics Europe…
Von der Leyen yields to farmer’s groups demands to shelve the Sustainable Use of Pesticide Regulation proposal
This week the European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen announced in a concession to farmers, after weeks of protests…
02/02/2024
Organic regulations
Statement of support for Spanish organic producers in their denunciation of a French politician's statement seeking to pit organic farmers from different countries against one another
IFOAM Organics Europe fully supports Spanish organic producers in their denounciation of a French politician’s statement seeking to pit organic…
GMOs – An easy breakdown on common myths
Global grassroots organization Slow Food International has recently published a short myth-busting article with the most common, but wrong and…
Member States call for ‘new impact assessment’ on the Pesticides Regulation (SUR), delaying strict EU pesticide regulation
On 19 December, Member States1 voted in favour of requesting complementary data to the existing impact assessment the Commission carried…
16/12/2022
Plant health care
EU pesticides regulation (SUR) under attacks from Member States & industry
The EU Pesticide Reduction proposal SUR has been under attack by lobbyists. They developed a strategy to delay and possibly…
Promoting recycled fertilizers in Europe: IFOAM Organics Europe position paper & outcomes policy workshop on closing the nutrients’ cycle
On 28 February, IFOAM Organics Europe has published a new position paper on the Commission’s Integrated Nutrients Management Action Plan…
November newsletter: SUR, GMO-free event, and more!
Two weeks ago, we published our November newsletter and it’s rich in updates and information on the hottest organic topics!…
Agreement on new deforestation law
EU consumption is responsible for around 10% of global deforestation. In the beginning of December, the Council and European Parliament…
06/12/2022
Plant health care
Bold pesticide reduction plan faces attack on Saturday
BRUSSELS, 6 DECEMBER 2022 – EU plans to cut pesticide use and risk by half and protect the most sensitive…
Press conference: EU pesticide reduction under fierce attack
In June 2022, the EU Commission presented a legislative proposal on the “sustainable use of plant protection products” (SUR), which…
24/11/2022
Plant health care
Political Hotspot - November 2022
The legislative process of revising the EU’s pesticide legislation, the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR), is full of hurdles,…
Welcome note November 2022
Dear reader, I am happy to welcome you to this year’s last edition of our newsletter. I am proud to…
1 million EU citizens knock on EU’s door: No synthetic pesticides to save bees & farmers
Over 1 million EU citizens are asking to restore nature, provide healthy food, healthy soil and clean water. On Friday 25…
‘Way forward in organic plant health care strategies’ Conference, 17-18 November 2022, online
On 17 & 18 November, IFOAM Organics Europe, BÖLW and JKI Institüte organised an online conference on the ‘Way forward…
09/11/2022
Plant health care
Commission's fertiliser communication, short term fixes, no long-term solutions
In its Communication on ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers, the EU Commission postpones necessary changes to achieve more sustainable food systems by…
03/11/2022
Plant health care
Organic movement asks for higher environmental ambition in the upcoming Fertiliser Communication & digitalization of pesticide use data in SAIO’s implementing act
Upcoming Fertilizers Communication of the Commission On 24 October, we co-signed a joint letter with 9 NGOs calling on the…
28/10/2022
Organic regulations
Changes in regulation on recognition of control authorities & bodies for the purpose of import of organic products into the EU
While the EU Organic Regulation 2018/848 has been in force since the start of the year, implementing regulation that specify…
25/10/2022
Soil
Organic movement responds to public consultation on Soil Health Law
Soil health is a cornerstone of organic farming and common organic farming practices improve actively soil quality. Healthy soils are…
Updates on pesticides and recycled nutrients: Regulation (SUR), statistics and data
IFOAM Organics Europe welcomed the Commission’s proposal on the revision of the Sustainable Use of pesticides Regulation (SUR). It could…
Watch the EU Organic Awards ceremony, tomorrow 23/9, 10:00
Tomorrow, Friday 23 September, there will be the second edition of the EU Organic Day, established by the European Commission…
21/09/2022
Soil
Public consultation on Soil Health Law is open
The European Commission has opened a public consultation on the Soil Health Law to which everyone can submit feedback until…