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NUREMBERG, Germany, Feb. 15, 2012-The European Union and the United
States announced today that beginning June 1, 2012, organic products
certified in Europe or in the United States may be sold as organic in
either region. This partnership between the two largest
organic-producers in the world will establish a strong foundation from
which to promote organic agriculture, benefiting the growing organic
industry and supporting jobs and businesses on a global scale.
The organics sector in the United States and European Union is valued at more than $50 billion combined, and rising every year.
Formal letters creating this partnership were signed on 15 February 2012
in Nuremberg, Germany, by Dacian Ciolos, European Commissioner for
Agriculture and Rural Development; Kathleen Merrigan, U.S. Agriculture
Deputy Secretary; and Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, U.S. Trade Representative
Chief Agricultural Negotiator. The signing took place at the BioFach
World Organic Fair, the largest trade show for organic products in the
world.
"This partnership connects organic farmers and companies on both sides
of the Atlantic with a wide range of new market opportunities," said U.S
Deputy Agriculture Secretary 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."
"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," stated the
EU Commissioner responsible for agriculture and rural development,
Dacian Ciolos. "This partnership marks an important step, taking EU-U.S.
agricultural trade relations to a new level of cooperation".
"This is a significant step in strengthening our bilateral trade
relations," added Ambassador Isi Siddiqui. "I am confident that this
arrangement will facilitate and boost agriculture trade between the
European Union and the United States - and lead to more jobs in this
important sector for both America and Europe."
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.
Leading up to today's historic announcement, both parties conducted
thorough on-site audits to ensure that their programs' regulations,
quality control measures, certification requirements, and labeling
practices were compatible.
Although there are small differences between the U.S. and European Union
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 European Union 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.
In addition, all products traded under the partnership must be shipped
with an organic export certificate. This document will show the
production location, identify the organisation that certified the
organic product, verify that prohibited substances and methods weren't
used, certify that the terms of the partnership were met, and allow
traded products to be tracked.
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.
The United States and the European Union will continue to have regular
discussions and will review each other's programs periodically to verify
that the terms of the partnership are being met. The EU and U.S. will
also begin to work on a series of cooperation initiatives to promote
organic production and tackle important topics such as animal welfare
and other issues. Both programs will share technical information and
best practices on an ongoing basis to further enhance the integrity of
organic crops and livestock production systems.
Currently, this agreement only covers products exported from and
certified in the United States or the European Union. For additional
details on this agreement, please visit
http://www.ams.usda.gov/NOPTradeEuropeanUnion or http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/home_en , or please contact one of the following:
- Roger Waite, European Commission Spokesman for Agriculture and
Rural Development, +(32) 2 296 14 04, roger.waite@ec.europa.eu
- Matt Herrick, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Communications: +1 (202) 720-4623, matthew.herrick@oc.usda.gov
- Andrea Mead, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Office of
Public and Media Affairs: +1 (202) 395-3230, Andrea_D_Mead@ustr.eop.gov
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complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil
Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call
(800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
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