New EU regulation – 834/2007

4 April, 2008

Plans to enforce the addition of a new EU logo to all organic products have now been scrapped after an embarrassing error by Commission officials.

The new logo, featuring the word ‘bio’, had been through the full EU approval process and was due come into effect in January 2009. However, it has now been withdrawn after it was discovered to be too similar in design to the label used by German retailer Aldi on it’s own organic lines.

Any processors who were preparing for the new logo’s introduction should take note and cease work on amending packaging or labels.

Defra has confirmed the logo has been withdrawn (a week after the news emerged through many non-official sources!). A number of news organisations are reporting that a competition is to be held for any citizen in the EU to try to design a replacement. The timescale for re-introducing the logo is still unknown.

The Grocer magazine reported that it has been ordered that any new version will not contain the word ‘bio’. OF&G is very much hoping this is the case, as we feel that the term is in no way connected to organics in this country and would lead to confusion among shoppers.

We will of course keep you informed as the issue develops.

The following information is now out of date, due to the above update. We have left it on this page for your reference and for background to this debacle!

Following on from the article in the October edition [pdf] of our newsletter we can now update licensees on the latest developments with the new European Organic Regulation. As detailed in the last newsletter this new regulation “Council Regulation (EC) 834/2007” is due to come into force on the 1st January 2009.

One significant area of discussion has, to date, centred on the new EU Community Logo.

This logo will be obligatory on all organic pre-packed food produced within the community (EU). It can also be used on a voluntary basis on non pre-packed food produced within the community and any organic products imported from third countries.
The logo should not be used on products labelled as in-conversion or processed foods where less than 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic. When the logo is used the labelling of the packaging must also indicate the place where the agricultural ingredients that make up the product were produced. This must be in the same visual field as the logo and be in the following form:

• ‘EU Agriculture’, used where the agricultural ingredients have been farmed within the EU.
• ‘Non-EU Agriculture’, to be used where the agricultural ingredients have been farmed in third countries.
• ‘EU/non-EU Agriculture’, to be used where part of the agricultural ingredients have been farmed in the EU and a part of it in third countries.

If all of the agricultural ingredients in a product are farmed within the same country in the EU the wording may be changed to state that it is a product of that country i.e British.

If using direct colours they should be (Pantone):
GREEN: Pantone 368
BLUE: Pantone Reflex Blue

If using a four colour process they should be:
GREEN: 60% cyan + 100% yellow
BLUE: 100% cyan + 80% magenta

There has been considerable concern within the UK organic sector that in the UK the word bio is not recognised as meaning organic and DEFRA has conveyed this to the Commission. As a result of this, and concern’s raised by a number of other member states, the Commission have decided that the logo may be supplemented with graphic or textual elements referring to organic farming under the condition that they do not change or modify the logo. This amendment would allow, for example, the words “organic product” to be placed around the logo.

The logo has been introduced at this stage in order that any packaging and labelling can be amended in time for its official introduction on the 1st January 2009. However the commission have stated that labels and packaging, produced before the 1/1/09, using the current EU logo, can continue to be used after the 1/1/09 and until stocks are exhausted. It is not yet clear if labels and packaging that do not use the current EU logo can also continue to be used after the 1/1/09.

If you require further information on the new logo please contact Steve Clarkson, Certification Manager at OF&G.