Decision No 2/2015 of the Joint Committee on Agriculture of 19 November 2015 on the amendment of Appendices 1 and 2 to Annex 9 to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products [2015/2292]
Date: 2015-11-19
Institutions: EU–Switzerland Joint Committee
Subjects: Switzerland, agricultural product, animal feedingstuffs, market access, marketing standard, organic product, quality control of agricultural products, revision of an agreement, trade agreement (EU), wine




L_2015323EN.01002901.xml










9.12.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 323/29








            DECISION No 2/2015 OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
         
of 19 November 2015
         
on the amendment of Appendices 1 and 2 to Annex 9 to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products [2015/2292]


THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,

Having regard to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products, and in particular Article 11 thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


The Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Agreement’) entered into force on 1 June 2002.












(2)


The purpose of Annex 9 to the Agreement is to facilitate and foster the bilateral trade flow of organic products originating in the European Union and Switzerland.












(3)


Under Article 8 of Annex 9 to the Agreement, the Working Group on Organic Products examines all matters relating to Annex 9 and its implementation and makes recommendations to the Joint Committee on Agriculture. The working group met to examine the scope of the Annex in particular. The scope of Annex 9 should be extended to include wine and yeast given the equivalence of the Swiss and EU provisions in this area. Furthermore, the content of Appendix 2 should be deleted, as Switzerland has amended its legislation with regard to the labelling of organically produced animal feed and has adopted provisions that are in line with EU law. The working group recommended to the Committee that the Appendices to Annex 9 be amended accordingly.












(4)


Appendices 1 and 2 to Annex 9 should therefore be amended,





HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:



Article 1
Appendices 1 and 2 to Annex 9 to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products shall be replaced by the text contained in the Annex to this Decision.


Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on 31 December 2015.




Done at Bern, on 19 November 2015.


For the Joint Committee on Agriculture


The Head of the European Union Delegation

Susana MARAZUELA-AZPIROZ
            

The President and Head of the Swiss Delegation

Adrian AEBI
            

The Committee Secretary

Thomas MAIER
            







ANNEX



‘APPENDIX 1

List of acts referred to in Article 3 relating to organically produced agricultural products and foodstuffs

Regulations applicable in the European Union





Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (OJ L 189, 20.7.2007, p. 1), as last amended by Council Regulation (EU) No 517/2013 of 13 May 2013 (OJ L 158, 10.6.2013, p. 1).









Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 of 5 September 2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products with regard to organic production, labelling and control (OJ L 250, 18.9.2008, p. 1), as last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1358/2014 of 18 December 2014 (OJ L 365, 19.12.2014, p. 97).









Commission Regulation (EC) No 1235/2008 of 8 December 2008 laying down detailed rules for implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 as regards the arrangements for imports of organic products from third countries (OJ L 334, 12.12.2008, p. 25), as last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/131 of 23 January 2015 (OJ L 23, 29.1.2015, p. 1).




Provisions applicable in the Swiss Confederation





Ordinance of 22 September 1997 on organic farming and the labelling of organically produced plant products and foodstuffs (Ordinance on organic farming), as last amended on 29 October 2014 (RO 2014 3969).









Ordinance of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) of 22 September 1997 on organic farming, as last amended on 29 October 2014 (RO 2014 3979).




Exclusion from the equivalence arrangements





Swiss products based on ingredients produced under the arrangements for conversion to organic farming.









Swiss goat products, where the animals are covered by the derogation provided for in Article 39d of the Ordinance on organic farming and the labelling of organically produced products and foodstuffs (*1).








‘APPENDIX 2

Implementation rules

None

’


(*1)  (RS 910.18)