2026-07-15
Lawmakers in the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Development Committee have backed changes to the European Union’s organic rules that could affect how imported organic products are labeled, how small sellers are regulated and how some livestock standards are applied.
The committee approved its position on Tuesday by 37 votes to 4, with 8 abstentions, according to the European Parliament. The proposal updates EU rules on the production, labeling, certification and trade of organic products. It is part of a broader effort to protect EU organic producers from what lawmakers describe as unfair outside competition and to strengthen consumer trust in the bloc’s organic label.
One of the main changes concerns products imported from countries outside the EU. Under the committee’s text, the EU organic logo could be used on imported goods only if those products meet equivalent standards and also comply with additional specific production and control requirements. The Parliament said the measure is meant to improve confidence in organic food and create fairer competition between operators inside and outside the EU.
The issue has become more urgent because current rules for organic food imports expire on Dec. 31, 2026. The European Commission proposed the adjustments after a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union on Oct. 4, 2024 found that imported products recognized under equivalence arrangements could not use the EU organic logo. Brussels has argued that clearer rules are needed both to avoid trade disruption and to help consumers understand what the logo stands for.
The committee also supported easing some requirements for small operators that sell unpackaged organic products directly to consumers. At present, those sellers can be exempt from organic certification if they stay below certain thresholds tied to turnover, sales volume and certification costs. Members of Parliament said recent price increases had pushed some producers above those limits, causing them to lose access to the exemption.
To address that, lawmakers endorsed raising the annual turnover threshold from €20,000 to €25,000 and increasing the annual sales volume limit from 5,000 kilograms to 10,000 kilograms. The change would extend the exemption to more small operators.
For beverage producers, including wineries that sell organic wine or import organic products into the EU market, the proposed changes could matter in practical ways. Tighter conditions for use of the EU organic logo on imports may affect certification steps, compliance costs and labeling decisions. The higher threshold for small operators could also ease regulatory pressure for some smaller businesses selling directly to consumers, though the final impact would depend on how the law is completed and applied.
The committee text also includes new conditions for livestock housing. According to Parliament, rules for poultry houses built for fattening birds and for daytime open-air access would be modified in order to reduce administrative and logistical costs.
Camilla Laureti, the Italian lawmaker serving as rapporteur on the file, said her aim was to give the sector a stable regulatory framework while simplifying some rules without undoing them only a few years after they took effect. She said the approach was intended to preserve quality and protect the reputation of the sector in Europe and abroad while respecting consumers.
In a separate vote, the committee approved by 40 votes to 8, with 1 abstention, a decision to enter negotiations with the Council of the European Union on the final shape of the legislation. The text is also expected to go to a plenary vote in Parliament as soon as possible.
EU institutions are trying to reach a final agreement before the end of this year because of the deadline attached to current import rules. The debate carries commercial weight beyond farming policy alone. Organic labeling is a key marketing tool across European food and drink markets, and any change in who can use the EU logo, and under what conditions, may ripple through supply chains that include wine and other beverages sold as organic.
The European Parliament pointed to a Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2024 that found the EU organic production logo was the most widely recognized food label among Europeans. That recognition helps consumers identify organic products and gives producers a common label they can use across the single market.