Europe: One year postponement of the application of the new Organic Products Regulation

The Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 was published on 14 June 2018 in the Official Journal of the European Union. It was to be applicable from 1 January 2021.

However, taking into account the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related public health crisis and in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the organic sector, to provide legal certainty and to avoid potential market disruption, the Regulation (EU) 2020/1693 of 11 November 2020 defers the date of application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 by one year (to 1st January 2022). Products produced in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 before 1 January 2022 may be placed on the market after that date until stocks are exhausted.

Several dates linked to derogations, reports or empowerments granted to the Commission to end or extend derogations, derive directly from the date of application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848. These dates of application are therefore also deferred by one year.