Organic Production Legislation

Regulation 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products

This Regulation provides the basis for the sustainable development of organic production while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market, guaranteeing fair competition, ensuring consumer confidence and protecting consumer interests. It establishes common objectives and principles to underpin the rules set out under this Regulation concerning:

(a) all stages of  production, preparation and distribution of organic products and their control; and

(b) the use of indications referring to organic production in labelling and advertising.

Commission Regulation 889/2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation No 834/2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products with regard to organic production, labelling and control

This Regulation lays down specific rules on organic production, labelling and control in respect of products, including feed, referred to in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007. The species of animals to which the regulation applies includes herbivores, monogastric animals and fish.

Commission Regulation 1235/2008 laying down detailed rules for implementation of Council Regulation No 834/2007 as regards the arrangements for imports of organic products from third countries

Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/446 of 19 March 2019 amending and correcting Regulation No 1235/2008 laying down detailed rules for implementation of Council Regulation 834/2007 as regards the arrangements for imports of organic products from third countries  

A paper “Production and labelling of organic products”, produced by the Commission and summarising Regulation 834/2007, is available here.

Defra guidance on the implementation of Commission Regulation 889/2008 and Commission Regulation 505/2012 is below in related documents.

The original Defra guidance issued in January 2010 (see below) covers aquaculture and seaweed production (paragraphs 37 to 60 refer).

Please note that Defra is in the process of revising the Guidance Notes below. Whilst the revised document is being finalised, please cross check relevant contents with the consolidated version of the regulations to which there are links above. Defra has also provided a document linking in chronological order the regulations amending Commission Regulation 889/2008 since it came into force on 1 January.

NB - Regulation 2018/848, repealing Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, has been published. The Regulation entered into force on the third day following of its publication. It shall apply from 1 January 2021.

Member States now have 24 months to transpose those directives into their national law. The deadline for transposition will be 4th July 2020.

Defra Consolidated Organic Regulation April 2016

This document has been provided by Defra and it links in chronological order the regulations amending Commission Regulation 889/2008 since it came into force.

Guidance Document on EU Organic Standards January 2010

This document has been produced to assist those who produce, prepare, store, import from a non-EU country or market organic products (referred to in this document and in the EU Regulations as operators) and the inspection bodies which licence them (referred to in this document and in the EU Regulations as control bodies) with implementing the new framework of EU organic standards which came into effect on 1 January 2009.

Defra Guidance note on Feed rules following regulation 505-2012