EU organic products | EUROPESHARES EU

Europe shares organic food – the system that guarantees the highest standard of food quality, natural production and the substantial care for environment.

The European Organic farming uses sustainable methods to protect the environment, people, Organic farming uses only natural substances for fertilization and crop protection while promoting high animal welfare standards and meeting animals’ behavioral needs.

The most reliable way to identify a product as organic and produced in Europe is by looking for the official EU organic logo

The EU organic logo, the white leaf on a green background, on food products ensures that strict EU organic standards have been followed. This label is required for all pre-packaged organic foods. For processed items, it means that at least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic. Retailers and supermarkets can only use the term “organic” if their products fully meet these standards.

Decode label of organic products.

Core Principles of European Organic Farming and Production

European Organic production follows strict guidelines designed to protect the environment, preserve Europe’s biodiversity, and build consumer trust in organic products. These regulations cover all aspects of organic farming and are based on key principles, including:

Prohibition of GMOs
Limited use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides
Prohibition on hormones and restricted use of antibiotics
Crop rotation practices
Promotion of animals’ natural immune defenses
Use of natural pest control and resistant breeds

EU definition of organic farming

Organic production means a sustainable agricultural system respecting the environment and animal welfare, but also includes all other stages of the food supply chain.

The organic control system

In the EU, each country designates a ‘competent authority’ to actively enforce organic farming rules, typically through agriculture or public health departments.

Each year, EU countries conduct thorough checks on organic operators and take immediate action if non-compliance is found. The European Commission closely monitors these efforts, ensuring that all countries are upholding their responsibilities and maintaining consumer trust in organic products. This hands-on approach guarantees that organic goods are rigorously inspected, no matter where they originate in the EU.

EU rules for production

EU organic production rules cover a wide range of agricultural products, from seeds to final processed foods, including aquaculture, yeast, and specific natural products like beeswax and cork. These rules prohibit the use of GMOs, synthetic pesticides, and artificial fertilizers while encouraging practices like crop rotation and natural pest control. Livestock must be fed 100% organic feed and kept under strict animal welfare standards, with no use of hormones or synthetic growth promoters. Organic production covers all stages, ensuring products are handled separately from non-organic items and meet strict labeling standards. The EU also approves only certain substances for use in organic farming, limiting external inputs and ensuring products remain true to organic principles.

Building trust in European Organic production

In order for farmers to derive benefits from organic farming methods, consumers need to trust that the rules on organic production are being followed. The EU is working on an permanent update of existing rules on organic production and labelling in response to major changes that have transformed the sector.

Proposed alterations include:

Stricter controls: all operators throughout the food supply chain (farmers, breeders, processors, traders, importers) are checked at least once a year.

Fairer competition: producers from non-EU countries who want to sell their products in the EU need to comply with the same rules as producers in the EU.

Prevention of contamination with pesticides: farmers must take precautionary measures to avoid accidental contamination with non-authorised pesticides or fertilisers.

A product loses its organic status if the contamination is due to fraud or negligent behaviour. EU countries that have thresholds for non-authorised substances in organic food can continue applying them, but they must allow other organic foods from other EU countries in their markets.