The text on organic farming in the European Union is expected to come into force from 2021, but in Italy's view the new rules would not be stringent enough and would penalise Italian organic produce, which meets higher quality standards.
A new regulation for organic farming in the European Union. It was approved by the European Parliament on 19 April with 466 votes in favour, 124 against (including Italian MEPs) and 50 abstentions. The new rules were designed to support organic production and ensure that only high-quality organic products are imported into the European Union, with stricter controls, action against contamination and compliance with EU standards for imports. Yet for Italy, all of this is still not enough. Here is why.
Before it can be applied, the agreed text (following four years of negotiations) will need to be formally approved by the EU Council and is expected to come into force on 1 January 2021. What do the new rules provide for? As regards controls, these will be carried out on-site for all operators in the supply chain, annually or every two years if no irregularity has been found over the course of three years. All products imported from non-EU countries will then be required to comply with Union standards. And the current rules on "equivalence", which require third countries to conform to similar but not identical standards, will be phased out within five years of the regulation entering into force. To increase organic production in the European Union, it has been decided to increase the supply of organic seeds, while derogations allowing the use of conventional seeds in organic production will be eliminated by 2035. Farms that produce both conventional and organic products continue to be permitted, provided the two farming activities are clearly separated. Group certifications will allow small farmers converting to organic to save money and time.
On the subject of contamination, the new text provides that, if the presence of an unauthorised pesticide or fertiliser is suspected, the final product may not be labelled as organic pending further investigation; if the contamination proves to have been deliberate or if the operator has not applied precautionary measures, the product will lose its organic food status. Member states that currently apply maximum thresholds for unauthorised substances in organic food, such as pesticides, may continue to do so, provided they allow organic products from other EU countries that comply with Union rules to enter their market. It is these last points that Italy is most strongly opposed to.
According to Cia (Confederazione italiana agricoltori), the new European rules "are absolutely not in line with the levels and quality standards that have been applied for years in Italy, which is the country ranked first in Europe for production and second for land under organic cultivation. The rules – Cia explains – bring no improvement for consumers in that they do not address the rules concerning product contamination, removing from the negotiations the issue of thresholds for pesticide residues. In this way, our country is penalised — one of the most virtuous in terms of compliance with the method of organic production and the inspection system — placing us at a competitive disadvantage in Europe." Coldiretti goes even further, describing the new rules as "a green light from the EU for contaminated organic produce": "The new regulation grants member states the possibility of maintaining less restrictive thresholds for pesticide residues or GMO contamination, causing serious reputational damage to the organic sector, especially in countries like Italy where production standards are very high. In this context, to defend the leading position of Made in Italy production it is necessary to accelerate the development of a national label for Italian organic produce to enable more informed purchasing choices." Federbio's overall assessment is also negative, even though it acknowledges the efforts made during negotiations between Parliament, the European Commission and the Council to improve the original text.