New organic legislation has entered into force across the EU since the commencement of the new year, following the postponement of its implementation for a year.

The new rules reflect the changing nature of this rapidly growing sector, according to the European Commission, and are designed to ensure fair competition for farmers.

They are also aimed at preventing fraud and maintaining consumer trust through the following:

In March 2021, the European Commission launched an organic action plan for the European Union.

It set out to achieve the European Green Deal target of 25% of agricultural land under organic farming by 2030.

The plan is comprised of 23 actions divided across three axes:

Last September, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission launched an annual ‘EU organic day', which will take place on September 23 each year.