Attention to Changes in EU Organic Agriculture Legislation

With the increasing demand for organic agricultural products and the expanding organic agriculture markets, organic product exports are dependent on the organic agriculture regulations of the exporting countries. This necessitates the mandatory use of inputs and production in full compliance with the regulations. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the changes made by the European Union in its organic agriculture legislation, especially since 2022.

Dr. Füsun Zehra Özkan, Quality Process Coordinator and Faculty Member at Altınbaş University, highlighted that organic agriculture is one of the most dynamic sectors of the European agricultural food industry. She emphasized the need to know the latest developments regarding these changes to ensure smooth exports for Turkish organic food producers, who conduct a significant portion of their exports with EU countries.

Dr. Özkan recalled that the European Union's organic logo imposes strict restrictions on sustainable production, the use of chemical pesticides, or food additives. She stressed the importance of guaranteeing production and quality standards for organic agriculture.

Pointing out that products that do not meet the standards cannot enter the EU, Dr. Özkan explained that the aim of the new regulations is to protect the environment and climate, preserve the long-term productivity of agricultural land, ensure high levels of biodiversity, maintain a non-toxic environment, uphold high standards of animal welfare, preserve native species, and contribute to local production.

Dr. Özkan highlighted that in the last 20 years, significant changes have occurred in organic agriculture legislation on a country-by-country basis. She evaluated that updating our country's organic agriculture legislation in line with these changes, especially ensuring compliance with EU organic agriculture legislation for export, should be a priority for both organic production and sustainability, as well as increasing our organic agricultural product exports.

Dr. Özkan emphasized that third-country producers exporting to the EU, such as Türkiye, are required to comply with the same rules as the producers operating in the EU. She noted that this obligation directly concerns the businesses in Türkiye that export organic products. She stated that this legislation imposes the obligation to comply with the same rules as the businesses operating in the EU, considering the differences in climate, production conditions, etc., for agricultural activities conducted on different continents worldwide.

Dr. Özkan underlined that the EU regulations that came into effect on January 1, 2022, aim to ensure fair competition among farmers, prevent fraud, and maintain consumer confidence in the rapidly growing organic agriculture sector.

Dr. Özkan also provided insights into the changes in the organic agriculture legislation in the European Union:

• Production rules have been reorganized with the gradual removal of a series of exceptions and exemptions.
• The control system has been strengthened through more stringent precautionary measures and robust controls throughout the entire supply chain.
• Organic rules now cover a wider range of products (such as salts, mushrooms, wax, wool, etc.) and have additional production rules (such as for deer, rabbits, and poultry).
• The group certification system has been reorganized, especially for small farmers.
• A uniform approach has been developed to reduce the risk of accidental contamination from pesticides.

Dr. Özkan pointed out that Türkiye falls under the category of third countries according to the relevant regulations. She stated:

"Businesses in our country that export organic products to the European Union must first be certified by Control and Certification bodies authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Türkiye and accredited within the scope of EU Organic regulations. On the other hand, the process begins with the official application to the relevant authorities in the European Union for approval of the activities. Additionally, there are certification bodies that have been accredited by foreign accreditation organizations and allowed to operate in Türkiye by the European Commission."

Dr. Özkan mentioned that there are four certification bodies accredited by the Turkish Accreditation Agency and authorized by the European Commission to operate in Türkiye within the scope of the relevant regulations. She explained:

"These bodies are undergoing transition audits by the Turkish Accreditation Agency according to the new regulations. The audit results are then sent to the relevant certification bodies for approval. There are also certification bodies in our country that are in the process of establishing systems in accordance with the new regulations, or are currently in the application process. The process is quite long and challenging for our certification bodies."

Dr. Özkan provided recommendations specifically regarding the certification process for organic agriculture producers:

"In order to ensure the export of our organic products to EU countries, accredited certification bodies under the new EU regulations must conduct audit activities in full compliance with EU organic regulations from the receipt of applications from organic producers to the completion of the production process, including all inputs used. They must issue certificates in accordance with these regulations. Audit and certification activities form the basis for the certified marketing of organic products. Continuous control and traceability of organic products from the field/farm to markets/businesses/export, carried out by Control and Certification Bodies authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and accredited by the Turkish Accreditation Agency, as well as keeping records of all processes, constitute the basis of certification activities in this field."