Objectives
Organic production shall pursue the following general objectives:
(a)
establish a sustainable management system for agriculture that:
(i)
respects nature's systems and cycles and sustains and enhances the health of soil, water, plants and animals and the balance between them;
(ii)
contributes to a high level of biological diversity;
(iii)
makes responsible use of energy and the natural resources, such as water, soil, organic matter and air;
(iv)
respects high animal welfare standards and in particular meets animals’ species-specific behavioural needs;
(b)
aim at producing products of high quality;
(c)
aim at producing a wide variety of foods and other agricultural products that respond to consumers’ demand for goods produced by the use of processes that do not harm the environment, human health, plant health or animal health and welfare.
Overall principles
Organic production shall be based on the following principles:
(a)
the appropriate design and management of biological processes based on ecological systems using natural resources which are internal to the system by methods that:
(i)
use living organisms and mechanical production methods;
(ii)
practice land-related crop cultivation and livestock production or practice aquaculture which complies with the principle of sustainable exploitation of fisheries;
(iii)
exclude the use of GMOs and products produced from or by GMOs with the exception of veterinary medicinal products;
(iv)
are based on risk assessment, and the use of precautionary and preventive measures, when appropriate;
(b)
the restriction of the use of external inputs. Where external inputs are required or the appropriate management practices and methods referred to in paragraph (a) do not exist, these shall be limited to:
(i)
inputs from organic production;
(ii)
natural or naturally-derived substances;
(iii)
low solubility mineral fertilisers;
(c)
the strict limitation of the use of chemically synthesised inputs to exceptional cases these being:
(i)
where the appropriate management practices do not exist; and
(ii)
the external inputs referred to in paragraph (b) are not available on the market; or
(iii)
where the use of external inputs referred to in paragraph (b) contributes to unacceptable environmental impacts;
(d)
the adaptation, where necessary, and within the framework of this Regulation, of the rules of organic production taking account of sanitary status, regional differences in climate and local conditions, stages of development and specific husbandry practices.
Specific principles applicable to farming
In addition to the overall principles set out in Article 4, organic farming shall be based on the following specific principles:
(a)
the maintenance and enhancement of soil life and natural soil fertility, soil stability and soil biodiversity preventing and combating soil compaction and soil erosion, and the nourishing of plants primarily through the soil ecosystem;
(b)
the minimisation of the use of non-renewable resources and off-farm inputs;
(c)
the recycling of wastes and by-products of plant and animal origin as input in plant and livestock production;
(d)
taking account of the local or regional ecological balance when taking production decisions;
(e)
the maintenance of animal health by encouraging the natural immunological defence of the animal, as well as the selection of appropriate breeds and husbandry practices;
(f)
the maintenance of plant health by preventative measures, such as the choice of appropriate species and varieties resistant to pests and diseases, appropriate crop rotations, mechanical and physical methods and the protection of natural enemies of pests;
(g)
the practice of site-adapted and land-related livestock production;
(h)
the observance of a high level of animal welfare respecting species-specific needs;
(i)
the production of products of organic livestock from animals that have been raised on organic holdings since birth or hatching and throughout their life;
(j)
the choice of breeds having regard to the capacity of animals to adapt to local conditions, their vitality and their resistance to disease or health problems;
(k)
the feeding of livestock with organic feed composed of agricultural ingredients from organic farming and of natural non-agricultural substances;
(l)
the application of animal husbandry practices, which enhance the immune system and strengthen the natural defence against diseases, in particular including regular exercise and access to open air areas and pastureland where appropriate;
(m)
the exclusion of rearing artificially induced polyploid animals;
(n)
the maintenance of the biodiversity of natural aquatic ecosystems, the continuing health of the aquatic environment and the quality of surrounding aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in aquaculture production;
(o)
the feeding of aquatic organisms with feed from sustainable exploitation of fisheries as defined in Article 3 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy ( 13 ) or with organic feed composed of agricultural ingredients from organic farming and of natural non-agricultural substances.
Specific principles applicable to processing of organic food
In addition to the overall principles set out in Article 4, the production of processed organic food shall be based on the following specific principles:
(a)
the production of organic food from organic agricultural ingredients, except where an ingredient is not available on the market in organic form;
(b)
the restriction of the use of food additives, of non organic ingredients with mainly technological and sensory functions and of micronutrients and processing aids, so that they are used to a minimum extent and only in case of essential technological need or for particular nutritional purposes;
(c)
the exclusion of substances and processing methods that might be misleading regarding the true nature of the product;
(d)
the processing of food with care, preferably with the use of biological, mechanical and physical methods.
Specific principles applicable to processing of organic feed
In addition to the overall principles set out in Article 4, the production of processed organic feed shall be based on the following specific principles:
(a)
the production of organic feed from organic feed materials, except where a feed material is not available on the market in organic form;
(b)
the restriction of the use of feed additives and processing aids to a minimum extent and only in case of essential technological or zootechnical needs or for particular nutritional purposes;
(c)
the exclusion of substances and processing methods that might be misleading as to the true nature of the product;
(d)
the processing of feed with care, preferably with the use of biological, mechanical and physical methods.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
