WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3086/98 by Karin RIIS-JØRGENSEN Mutual recognition of organic product labelling
Date: 1998-10-16
Institutions: European Parliament, RIIS-JOERGENSEN
Subjects: agricultural product, approval, import policy, marketing, organic farming, quality control of industrial products, trade mark

C 320/24

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.11.1999

Article 3 of Council Directive 90/313/EEC of 7 June 1990 (on the freedom of access to information on the
environment) requires public authorities to ‘make available information relating to the environment to any
natural or legal person at his request and without his having to prove an interest’. With only the facts
mentioned by the Honourable Member to go on, the Commission cannot be categorical as to whether the
Spanish authorities have responded inappropriately to a legitimate approach for information. (The only
information that Member States are obliged to disclose automatically is the general information on the state of
the environment which Article 7 states is to be supplied to the public ‘by such means as the periodic
publication of descriptive reports’.)

(1) OJ L 229, 30.8.1980.
(2) OJ C 259, 18.8.1998.

(1999/C 320/032)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3086/98

by Karin Riis-Jørgensen (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Mutual recognition of organic product labelling

(16 October 1998)

Further to my question to the Commission (P-0979/98) (1) and its answer concerning the mutual recognition
of organic product labelling in the Community, will the Commission explain in greater detail how it in actual
fact endeavours to ensure that trade in organic products can take place without dual inspection and in
accordance with the internal market?

Does it believe it is reasonable that certain Member States or regions should place such great emphasis on a
series of supplementary requirements that a producer who has already obtained national approval must secure
an additional approval, which is even subject to civil law in the relevant Member State, in order to be granted
authorisation to export to the country/region in question?

(1) OJ C 323, 21.10.1998, p. 101.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 1998)

Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications
referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs (1) provides that Member States shall set up an
inspection system operated by one or more designated inspection authorities or by inspection bodies, which
are authorised and supervised.

Member States shall also ensure that an operator who complies with the provisions of this Regulation and pays
his contribution to inspection expenses has access to the inspection system. In this way access to the market is
ensured also for farmers who do not follow the supplementary requirements set by private marks.

In addition, Member States may not, on grounds relating to the method of production, to the labelling or to the
presentation of that method, prohibit or restrict the marketing of organic products which satisfy the
production and inspection requirements in the Regulation.

Authorities in Member States or regions may not impose additional requirements to those in Regulation (EEC)
2092/91 (organic crop products and foodstuffs essentially composed of organic crop products). The
Commission has no indications that such requirements would be imposed as a condition to bring products
covered by Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 on the market.

(1) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991.