Agreements on trade in organic products

Chile

The European Union (EU) and Chile concluded an agreement for trade in organic products in 2017, which entered into force in January 2018 and recognises the two parties’ longstanding and strong trade partnership. It is based on the common principles and values reflected in this agreement, whilst establishing an association between the EU and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part.

It aims to contribute to the development and expansion of the organic sectors in both the EU and Chile by creating new export opportunities. This will be achieved in full respect for the principles of organic production, of guarantee of the control systems and of integrity of organic products.

Product categories

The list of products covered by the agreement is the following:

Origin: as stated in Article 4 of the Agreement between the EU and Chile on trade in organic products, the EU must accept the import into its territory, and the placing on the market as organic products, of the products listed in Annex I, provided that those products comply with the laws and regulations of Chile listed in Annex IV and are accompanied by a certificate of inspection. Please see the list of authorised products in Annex I to the Agreement.

Conditions: organic products listed in Annex I to the Agreement must be unprocessed agricultural products produced in Chile and processed agricultural products for use as food that have been processed in Chile with organically grown ingredients that have been produced in Chile or that have been imported into Chile either from the EU or from a third country in the framework of a regime that is recognised as equivalent by the EU in accordance with the provisions of Article 33(2) of 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.

Production standards: Law 20.089, of 17 January 2006, that creates a national certification system for agricultural organic products.

Competent authority: Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG), Ministry of Agriculture

Control bodies

The list of control authorities and control bodies recognised by the competent authority of Chile for certifying organic products intended for export to the EU is the following:

Duration of the inclusion: unspecified.

Related information

Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Chile on trade in organic products

Switzerland

The EU and Switzerland have signed an agreement on trade in agricultural products, which contains specific provisions on trade on organically produced agricultural products and foodstuffs (Annex 9 of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products).

The objective of the agreement with regard to organic agriculture is to foster trade in organically produced agricultural products and foodstuffs from the EU and Switzerland in accordance with the principles of non-discrimination and reciprocity, while complying with the laws and regulations of the parties. The parties recognise the laws and regulations listed in the agreement as equivalent. Rules on the free movement of organic products and labelling are also included in the agreement.

Product categories

Origin: products of categories A and F that have been grown in Switzerland and products of category D and E processed in Switzerland with organically grown ingredients that have been grown in Switzerland or that have been imported into Switzerland:

• either from the Union,
• or from a third country for which Switzerland has recognised that the products have been produced and controlled in that third country in accordance with rules equivalent to those laid down in the Swiss legislation.

Production standard: ordinance on organic farming and the labelling of organically produced plant products and foodstuffs.

Competent authority: Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

Control bodies

The list of control authorities and control bodies recognised by the competent authority of Switzerland for certifying organic products intended for export to the EU is the following:

Duration of the inclusion: unspecified.

Related information

Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products

United Kingdom

In accordance with the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 5(4) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Protocol, in this heading the reference to the United Kingdom does not include Northern Ireland.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), of the other part, establishes a reciprocal recognition of equivalence of the current organic legislation and control system of both parties to that agreement.

The Agreement was signed on 30 December 2020 and provisionally applied since 1 January 2021. Following the completion of the ratification process, the TCA entered into force on 1 May 2021. In view of new EU rules for organic products applying as of 1 January 2022, the EU and the UK confirmed equivalence on 6 December 2023.

In particular, with Annex 14 to the TCA, the EU has recognised the equivalence of products from the UK as follows.

Product categories

The categories of products covered by the agreement are the following:

Origin: the organic products shall be unprocessed agricultural or aquaculture products produced in the United Kingdom or processed agricultural products for use as food or feed that have been processed in the United Kingdom with ingredients that have been grown in the United Kingdom or that have been imported into the United Kingdom in accordance with United Kingdom laws and regulations.

Production standards:

The laws and regulations applicable in the United Kingdom regarding production standards are the following:

• retained EC Regulation 834/2007
• retained EC Regulation 889/2008
• retained EC Regulation 1235/2008
• the Organic Products Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/842)

References in this list to retained Union legislation are deemed to be references to such legislation as amended by the United Kingdom in order for that legislation to apply to the United Kingdom.

Competent authority: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Control bodies

The list of control authorities and control bodies recognised by the competent authority of the United Kingdom for certifying organic products intended for export to the EU is the following:

Related information

Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (OJ L 149, 30.4.2021, p. 10)