A jar of organic honey from overseas and a crate of loose carrots at a farmers’ market will soon play by clearer rules. Imported food will carry the EU’s green leaf only if it meets extra European requirements. Small sellers, meanwhile, can sell twice as much before they need a certificate.
The trouble started with a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on 4 October 2024. The court found that organic imports from countries with merely equivalent standards could not carry the EU logo, even though they meet rules similar to the EU’s. On 20 October, negotiators from the European Parliament and the Irish Council presidency agreed on targeted changes to the EU’s organic farming law. The deal aims to fix the problem and protect European producers from unfair competition.
The revised rules should help shoppers make more informed choices about imported organic food and strengthen their trust in the EU label. Before the changes become law, both the Parliament and the Council of the EU must formally approve the deal. The regulation will enter into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
New conditions for imported organic products
Organic imports from non-EU countries will be able to bear the European organic logo as long as they meet recognised equivalent standards and also comply with additional EU production and control requirements. The logo, a green leaf formed by white stars, aids consumers in identifying organic products on shop shelves. It also helps companies market their produce throughout the European market.
The distinction lay at the heart of the court’s ruling, and it is important because producing according to equivalent standards does not mean that producers comply with all the exact same regulations as those who operate within the EU. The deal also extends the recognition of 11 non-EU countries with equivalent systems until 31 December 2036. Their current status would otherwise expire at the end of this year, disrupting organic trade while talks on trade agreements continue.
In response to the potential disruptions to trade, the European Commission proposed revisions in December 2025 to define the terms and conditions under which imported products may use the label. The agreed text seeks to solve the problem the ruling created while maintaining fair competition between EU-based producers and those based in other countries.
Small sellers could avoid certification
The deal also brings changes for small businesses that sell unpackaged organic products directly to consumers. Today, they can skip organic certification if they stay below set limits on turnover and sales volume. Recent price rises, however, have pushed many of them above the turnover cap and cost them the exemption. Under the negotiated provisions, more of these operators will likely qualify again.
The negotiators agreed to double two current limits. The annual turnover threshold for the exemption will rise from €20,000 to €40,000, well above the €25,000 that MEPs sought in July. The cap on the volume of organic produce each operator sells will also double, from 5,000 to 10,000 kilograms a year. These new limits should help qualified small organic producers avoid having to go through all of the certification requirements when selling their products.
Certification and inspections can be costly and complex for the smallest operators. Even under the new limits, however, sellers will still need to meet the other conditions, such as selling only unpackaged products directly to consumers. The deal also streamlines the rules for groups of operators, which let small farmers get certified together and share the costs.
Keeping consumer trust in organic food
EU lawmakers want the new rules to protect consumer trust in organically labelled food while easing the regulatory burden on business. The logo is worth protecting. The latest Eurobarometer survey, carried out in May and June 2026, found that 58 per cent of Europeans recognise the EU organic logo, making it the best-known EU food quality label.
Our producers need predictable rules and a level playing field. — Christophe Hansen, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food
Camilla Laureti (S&D/ITA), who steered the file through Parliament, said stable rules are essential to preserving the sector’s high standards. Ms Laureti also stressed the need to balance consumer protection with greater legal certainty for business. The agreement therefore seeks a middle ground: lighter rules for small-scale producers, but full compliance for products bearing the EU organic label. Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen struck a similar note. “Our producers need predictable rules and a level playing field,” he said.
Once the rules are adopted, small enterprises are most likely to see a major change, thanks to the higher thresholds for certification exemptions. For international producers, the main question has been whether they must fulfil additional requirements before using the EU organic logo. The answer is now yes. Time is also short. The current recognition of equivalent countries expires on 31 December, so the institutions aim to publish the new rules before the end of the year.
