Following his election as chairman of Copa-Cogeca’s Organic Farming Working Party, Kees Van Zelderen this week (w/c 20 April) stressed the need for evolution and not revolution in the upcoming review of EU organic legislation.
Speaking after the vote, he said: “The current system has worked well, built up over 20 years, and what we need is evolution. It is crucial that the new EU organic farming legislation supports the development of the EU organic farming sector, ensuring that the 225,000 organic farmers continue to earn a living from their farming activities.”
Due to the rapid pace of change to regulation and the complexity of the regulatory framework, Van Zelderen suggested that the requirement to have yearly controls should be upheld to maintain a regular link between certification bodies and operators.
“This is also important to ensure consumer confidence in the EU organic farming logo,” he said. “Risk analysis is also a tool used to strengthen the control system, on top of the foundations laid by annual controls and on-the-spot checks. In addition, it is important to stress that genetically modified organisms (GMO) are forbidden in EU organic farming production methods and this must continue to be ensured.”
While acknowledging the impressive growth of the EU organic sector, which has quadrupled in value over the past decade, Van Zelderen also called for further research and innovation to drive the sector forward and to ensure farmers received sufficient returns.
“The conditions needed to establish a specific European declassification level for organic products as proposed by the EU Commission have currently not been met,” he said.
A compromise text on the proposal is currently being negotiated under the Latvian Presidency in a bid to decide on a general approach in May.
Lone Andersen from Denmark (DAFC) and Heinrich Von Bassewitz from Germany (DBV) were elected as vice-chairpersons.
