The European Commission today revealed the winner of the EU organic logo competition, which has received some 130,000 online votes over the last two months.
The winning design was created by German student Dusan Milenkovic, whose Euro-leaf logo gained 63 per cent of the vote.
On 1 July, the new EU organic logo will become mandatory for all pre-packaged organic products produced in any of the EU Member States, although it will be optional for imported products.
Other private, regional or national logos will be allowed to appear alongside the EU label.
Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, who first proposed the competition to select the logo, commented: 'I'm delighted that we now have a fresh EU organic food logo. This exercise has raised the profile of organic food and we now have a logo which everyone will be able to identify with. It's a nice elegant design and I look forward to buying products carrying this logo from July this year.'
The so-called Euro-leaf design depicts the EU stars in the shape of a leaf, set against a green background.
The winner and the winners of the second and third prize will be honoured by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development at an official award ceremony in Brussels in July. The three winners will receive prizes of €6,000, €3,500 and €2,500.
