The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister of International Trade announced this week that the European Union (EU) is expanding the current scope of the Canada-EU Organic Equivalency Arrangement. Canadian certified organic processed products that include imported ingredients will now also be covered by the arrangement and will no longer require costly and time-consuming double certification. The expanded scope of the arrangement will also include mutual recognition of EU and Canadian organic wine standards as being equivalent.
It is anticipated that the regulation will be published in the EU Official Journal by the end of March 2016. The EU regulation enters into force seven days after its official publication, at which time the revised Canada-EU Equivalency Arrangement will also come into force.
What is an organic product?
An organic product is an agricultural product that has been certified as organic. A product can be certified if it is produced using the methods outlined by the Canadian Organic Standards.
Organic Production Systems – General Principles and Management Standards
Products that make an organic claim must be certified by a Certification Body that has been accredited, based upon the recommendation of a CFIA-designated Conformity Verification Body. The Certification Body must certify the product to the Canadian Organic Standards. The CFIA is working with Conformity Verification Bodies to accredit Certification Bodies under the Canada Organic Regime.
List of Accredited Certification Bodies