Source: USDA/FAS GAIN Report E37075

On October 18, 2004 the European Council, comprising agriculture ministers from the 25 Member States, unanimously adopted the new “European Action Plan for organic food and farming” which was published last June.

The plan was proposed by the European Commission and consists of 21 items focused on developing the organic market through information, more effective government policy on organic farming and improvement of standards, controls and research.

The member states view the organic Action Plan as a major step forward. Their agriculture ministers requested the Commission to implement this program without delay, and to advance the implementation of the Action Plan on the basis of concrete measures so as to simplify and improve the organic sector.

Support was given to all 21 items. The most important are:

• Information, campaigns and making use of the EU logo to increase consumer awareness.

• Improved analysis and statistics in the sector.

• Optimization of the integration of organic farming into the programs for rural development.

• Strengthening of research.

• Definition of basic principles.

• Completion of continued harmonization of the standards.

• Clarification of GMO-related matters.

• Adjustment of control regulations and improvement of cooperation between control agencies.

• Implementation of measures to facilitate trade. Particularly facilitating the access of developing countries to the market.

As an Annex to the Council Conclusions is a declaration by ten of the member states, asking the Commission to take appropriate initiatives with respect to the thresholds for seeds in order to ensure GMO-free production, and stressing the importance attached to the coexistence of organic and GM-crops.

More information about the Action Plan can be found in GAIN-report E34025.

The Action Plan and Commission Working Documents providing background analysis on the 21 action items can be downloaded from: http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/qual/organic/plan/index_en.htm
 

The full Action Plan comprises: An official "Communication" from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament [pdf] setting out 21 actions; a Commission staff working document [pdf] containing a background analysis and a comprehensive description of the proposals.