The EU food and farming policies provokes interest of organic farming, and policymakers begin to value the multi-layered importance of organic systems and sustainable food and agriculture.
This began from the making of high quality food products and the provision of public goods, to job creation and the promotion of the agri-food sector and rural economies. Yet, a pursuant organic policy framework with a compound of policy measures was still necessary to use the benefits ensured by organic production. Following the application of a number of actions set out in the 2004 EU Organic Action Plan, such as specific standards for organic wine and aquaculture, the Commission’s notice of a new EU Action Plan in 2014 was an acceptable initiative.
A principle-driven approach helped to direct organic production nearby to the principles set out in the Regulation, while strengthening the standards. Nevertheless, it was taken in mind that if this would necessary change of units of mobility or release rules available to Member States, the approach would not be fit for purpose and could prevent the sustainable progress of organic farming. Sector reality in different Member States and regions was taken correctly into account. So long as some changes were no longer necessary, others had to be involved in agreement to standards increase that the organic sector had offered because of the Regulation. Besides, the immediate removal of all the exceptional rules, considered necessary today, some of them remain critical for certain production sectors and in geographical areas where the organic sector is still in its infancy.
For this reason, a combination of different ways is necessary to assure a convenient relation of the basic principles of organic farming as well as the durable progress and expansion of the European organic sector.
Changes, such as the introduction of group certification systems (which are currently only accepted in developing countries outside Europe), or the requirement that processors and traders measure the environmental performance of their activities, present opportunities.
Group certification systems in the EU for example, would enable groups of small-scale farmers to gain certification as single entities, thereby decreasing the bureaucratic burden of certification; and greater environmental performance requirements for processors could build on sustainability standards delivered by organic growers and livestock producers in order to move EU organic food to an even wider concept of sustainability.
Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 has been an important driver of the organic sector in Europe. A new regulation should continue to support the development of the sector by enabling a process orientated approach that advances standards in the direction of the fundamental organic farming principles. Consumers and producers should work hand in hand to support the growth of the sector, with EU and national policy frameworks contributing to this dynamic through new EU and national organic action plans.
This should foster the proceeding growth of the organic sector until 2020. The definite outcomes of the 2004 Action Plan also give momentum for growth in respect to a pursuant organic policy framework at EU level. It also involves description of achievements, as well as an assessment of the issues needed to be performed.
For example, it is admitted that better contacts are necessary between national organic actions and national and regional RDPs, as said in Action 6 of the 2004 Action Plan. In this way an establishment of considerable agreement of policy frameworks for the organic sector in Member States will be sustain (Sanders et al., 2011). This is a field, in which more work still needs to be performed in order to direct organic farming in new RDPs by 2020.
Thus, the EU and national organic action plans have to be developed supplementary for achievement of the right outcomes in Member States and regions. Therefore, all action plans up to 2020 should be supported fully from all EU policy frameworks.
In this respect they should:
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