Commission’s proposal to postpone the application of the new EU organic law until January 2022 is welcomed by the Agriculture Committee

Agriculture Committee Chair welcomes plans to delay new organic rules, due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation - Delaying new EU rules on producing and labelling organic products by one year would give farmers and national authorities preoccupied with effects of the pandemic more time to adjust. The Parliament approved the new EU organic law in April 2018. New rules, due to become applicable in January 2021, should boost organic production and ensure that only high-quality organic food is sold in the EU. The new EU organic law needs to be underpinned by secondary legislation to be operational. Due to delays in the process of preparing delegated and implementing acts, caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agriculture Committee Chair Lins asked Commissioner Wojciechowski in May to postpone the application of the new organic law until January 2022. The proposal tabled by the Commission needs to be approved by both the Parliament and the Council to enter into force.