Revision of the EU Organic Regulation. FederBio: "The AGRI Committee's vote is welcome, but no compromise on organic principles."

FederBio appreciates the work of rapporteur Camilla Laureti, who led a complex discussion and encouraged the legislative process to continue. FederBio welcomes the MEPs' adoption of the report, but reiterates the need for the review to remain limited to urgent technical measures, without calling into question the founding principles of organic farming.

"We would like to thank MEP Camilla Laureti for her work and for her attention to the needs of the organic sector," said Maria Grazia Mammuccini, President of FederBio. " The completion of this review is crucial to providing regulatory certainty for businesses. At the same time, we believe it is essential that the final text does not introduce changes that could weaken the integrity of the organic system or undermine the trust that producers and consumers have built over the years ."

FederBio, in fact, remains concerned about several critical issues that will need to be addressed in the next phases of discussions between the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission. In particular, there is concern about the possibility of introducing exemptions that would allow the use of non-organic chicks older than three days, despite the organic poultry sector having made significant investments in recent years to ensure the availability of organic chicks and gradually reduce dependence on the conventional sector. Similar concerns surround the possibility of using housing systems as an alternative to permanent access to pasture for ruminants, a change that risks undermining one of the cornerstones of organic farming.

Added to these are new administrative and control obligations—including those related to online sales and additional labeling requirements—which risk increasing bureaucratic burdens for operators without providing real added value. Also of concern is the provision for a periodic review clause in the Regulation, which could generate regulatory instability precisely at a time when the sector requires clear and lasting rules.

"European organic farming has built its credibility on rigorous rules and a relationship of trust with citizens that cannot be questioned," Mammuccini continues . "Exemptions must remain exceptional and temporary instruments, not become the norm. Likewise, access to pasture is a defining principle of organic farming and cannot be replaced by solutions that distort its approach. The European Commission's original proposal had a specific goal: to resolve certain technical issues without reopening the Regulation. This is the approach we ask be maintained in the upcoming negotiations. FederBio will continue to work in synergy with IFOAM Organics Europe and with European institutions and industry organizations, so that the final text guarantees legal certainty for operators and, above all, safeguards the integrity and authority of the European organic model."

FederBio (feder.bio) is a national federation founded in 1992 by organizations from across the organic and biodynamic agriculture supply chain, with the aim of protecting and promoting their development. FederBio is a member of IFOAM and ACCREDIA, the Italian accreditation body for certification bodies, and is recognized as the institutional representative of the sector at national and regional level.

Through its member organizations, FederBio brings together almost all representatives of the organic sector, including the main Italian players in production, distribution, certification, standardization, and the protection of the interests of organic operators and technicians.

The Federation is structured into five thematic and professional sections: Producers, Certification Bodies, Processors and Distributors, Service Operators and Technicians, and Cultural Associations. FederBio guarantees the rigorous and correct conduct of its members in accordance with the Code of Ethics and verifies the application of common standards.