IFOAM | News archive - up to December 2007

	News archive - up to December 2007



	Council postpone decision on Soil Directive
	Following vote in the Environment Council on December 20, where a blocking minority of five ministers from Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK stopped a compromise proposal for a Soil Framework Directive, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the IFOAM EU Group and BirdLife expressed their utter dismay at the unwillingness of a select group of Environment Ministers to face a very real problem in the EU: the continuing degradation of our soils.



	CAP Health Check should treat the cause, not play with sticking plasters
	Brussels/Puławy, 13/07/2007 – “The CAP Health Check must treat the cause of our agricultural problems, not just play with sticking plasters”. This is the message from experts in organic farming who were meeting in Pulawy, Poland on 12 and 13 July, 2007. The seminar, involving 40 national experts from 20 countries, was organised by the IFOAM EU Group with funding from the European Commission. Read the full press release here:



	ORWINE - National Stakeholder Forum and Farm day in Hungary
	On July 2, 2007 the first National Stakeholder Forum and Farm day of the ORWINE project took place in Balaton region in Hungary. The event was jointly organised by the IFOAM EU Group and Green Agriculture Foundation, Hungary. Hungarian, Austrian, Czech and Slowakian stakeholders thereby had the possibility to learn about ORWINE and to give their input to the European wide research project. For more on the ORWINE stakeholder meeting and for general information on the project, please click here:



	IFOAM EU Group at Green Week
	Green Week 2007 took place in CharlemagneBuilding of the European Commission in Brussels, from 12th to 15th June 2007. IFOAM EU Group was represented in this event with a stand.



	Council adopted new organic regulation
	The Agriculture Council has today adopted the new organic regulation on organic food and farming. The new regulation will come into force at 1. January 2009.



	IFOAM EU Group undersigned a letter to Commissioner Dimas
	14th May, 2007 - IFOAM EU Group undersigned a letter to the Environment Commissioner Dimas, with regard to the "online consultation on Community labelling thresholds for the adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of authorised genetically modified (GM) seeds in conventional seeds", which has been launched on May 7 th on the internet. To read the letter expressing some concerns about this procedure, click the link below:



	IFOAM EU Group sent a letter to the Commissioner about the Rural Development Programmes
	7th May, 2007 - The IFOAM EU Group sent a letter to the Commissioner Fischer Boel, to draw her attention to a number of concerns of IFOAM EU Group regarding the national and regional Rural Development Programmes, which are in the process of notification by the European Commission. Click the link below to download the letter:



	Newsletter nº16 - Extra Edition on “Organic Revision project results”
	April 31, 2007 - The IFOAM EU Group participated as full partner in the Organic Revision Project which started in March 2004 and finalised this year. This project was a three year EU funded Policy-oriented Research (SSP), from the Sixth Framework Programme (Priority 8.1), whose objective was to provide outcomes for the improvement of the EU regulation on organic food and farming and for the future development of this sector in Europe. To read the IFOAM EU Group extra edition newsletter, presenting the results of this project, please follow the link:



	IFOAM EU Group sends a letter to the Commission
	April 18, 2007 - The IFOAM EU Group sent a letter to the Commission with comments and suggestions for the implementing rules that will replace Annex VI in the Organic Regulation. To read the letter, please click the link below:



	IFOAM EU Group supports Soil Directive
	April 16, 2007 - The IFOAM EU Group underlined its support for an EU wide protection for soil in a letter sent to the German Presidency and the President of the European Parliament On April 16, 2007. Soil has always been the starting point for organic farming and the foundation of organic farm management. Therefore, for organic farmers, the care for the soil has always been at the heart of their concern.



	Call for a truly sustainable CAP
	March 22-24, 2007 - European experts met in Bari, Italy, at the CAP Seminar "Organic Farming and Nature Protection to Allow Sustainable Growth" and called for the upcoming CAP Health Check to put sustainability properly at the center of European agriculture. The meeting of European experts showed the importance of efficient and coherent (CAP) Rural Development programmes in the Member States to further develop organic farming and nature protection. Read the Press Release here:



	IFOAM EU Group expresses support for new German/French proposals
	24th November, 2006 - IFOAM EU Group wrote a letter to the Finnish Presidency in support of the new German/French amendments for the revision of the EU ‘organic’ regulation and urging further time for discussion. See also IFOAM EU Group Revision Info page



	IFOAM EU Group met Commissioner Fischer Boel
	The IFOAM EU Group met today the Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel. The IFOAM EU Group emphasized that there is still much work to do on the revision proposal for a new Organic EU Regulation as it is still not mature enough. The latest text has progressed since the original proposal but there are still issues and concerns that will cause significant problems. This was the main message the IFOAM EU Group delegation brought to Commissioner Fischer Boel at a meeting today. See also IFOAM EU Group Info page



	IFOAM EU Group Annual Report 2005
	IFOAM EU Group published its Annual Report 2005, describing its financial situation and activities developed during the year 2005.



	European Organic Agriculture contributes to growth, jobs and sustainability
	23rd October, 2006, Brussels - The main outcome of the meeting of European experts at the CAP Seminar "Organic Farming and the Lisbon Strategy" is the recognition of the role of organic agriculture contributing to the targets of the Lisbon Strategy!" ‘Organic farming delivers the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy’, said Francis Blake, president of the IFOAM EU Group. ‘We call on the Commission to use organic farming to its maximum advantage.’



	Less EU Research Funding for Organic Farming?
	11th October, 2006 - The IFOAM EU Group sent a letter to EU Research Commissioner Potocnik to express its serious concern that there will be less funding for organic food and farming research in the new Framework Research Programme than under the current one. This letter has been supported by four other umbrella organisations: ISOFAR - International Society of Organic Agriculture Research EFFAT- European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism trade unions EURO COOP - European community of consumer cooperatives EEB - European Environmental Bureau Reducing research money for organic farming in the 7th Framework Programme would not only contradict the different EU policy strategies relating to organic farming, e.g the European Action Plan on Organic Food and Farming. It would also hamper the further development of a dynamic organic food and farming sector and market. Therefore, the IFOAM EU Group asks the European Commission urgently to ensure that Organic Farming research is strengthened from the beginning within the 7th Framework Programme. The new Programme will start on 1.1.2007.



	IFOAM EU launched Info page on Revision
	16th July, 2006 - The IFOAM EU Group launched its new Info Page on the Revision of the organic Regulation. The page will give you an update about the latest development, documents and positions.



	IFOAM EU Group at Brussels Green Week
	From May 30 to June 2 the DG Environment of the European Commission holds its annual Green Week in Brussels. This year’s theme is biodiversity. The IFOAM EU Group will be present to demonstrate organic farmings contribution to hold the loss of biodiversity.



	National Stakeholder Forum & Farm Day 2007
	Download the programmes of the National Stakeholder Forum & Farm Day 2007 taking place in Hungaryand in Portugal



	Organic Week in the EU canteens May 17 to 24
	The IFOAM EU Group organised together with the Austrian Presidency an ORGANIC WEEK in the canteens of the European Commission and the European Council in Brussels. The event will take place from May 17-24. During this period EU officials and their guests have the possibility to enjoy a range of organic meals. This public-private initiative aims to support the use of organic food in public canteens and underlines the role of catering for a dynamic development of the organic sector.



	IFOAM EU Group at GM Coexistence conference in Vienna
	The European Commission organised together with the Austrian Presidency of the Council the conference "Co-existence of genetically modified, conventional and organic crops – freedom of choice" which took place at 4-6 April 2006 in Vienna, Austria. The IFOAM EU Group was represented by eight delegates.



	Conference on Organic Revision in European Parliament
	Over 90 stakeholders from eleven different EU countries participated at the public conference ’Organic farming: Ready for the next Decade?’ on March 27, 2006 in the European Parliament. The delegates discussed the Commission’s proposal on the Revision of the Organic Regulation with the Austrian Presidency, the European Commission and the European Parliament. The conference was organised by the IFOAM EU Group together with the responsible rapporteurs from the European Parliament, Marie-Hélène Aubert and F.W. Graefe zu Baringdorf.......



	Announcement: Conference on the Revision of Organic Regulation
	The IFOAM EU Group organised togehter with the rapporteurs in the European Parliament on the EU Commission proposal on the revision of the regulation on organic agriculture the conference "Organic farming: Ready for the next Decade?". It will take place on March 27, 2006, 3pm to 6.30pm. It will give stakeholders the possibilities to discuss the proposal with the Agriculture Commissioner Fischer Boel, the Austrian Presidency, the European Parliament and the IFOAM EU Group. Registration: Please register until the March 17, 2006, indicate name, date of birth, nationality, organisation, country of residence, email address. Registration is necessary to enter the European Parliament. Registration - Email: contact@ifoam-eu.org



	3rd General Assembly of IFOAM EU in February 15
	The Third General Assembly of the IFOAM EU Regional Group is being held on Wednesday 15th February 2005 in Nuremberg, Germany (one day before Biofach). The IFOAM EU Group Board invites you as IFOAM members to participate fully in this democratic process. It gives you the power to direct the Group’s work and ensure it does genuinely represent you. Since the second General Assembly in February 2003, the IFOAM EU Group has made great strides forward. We have established an office in Brussels which has given our work a necessary and welcome platform for coordination, research, information exchange, advocacy work, etc. The IFOAM EU Group is now recognized and respected in Brussels and our impact is growing. For example we now have the presidency of the Commission’s Advisory Group on Organic Farming. An extra webpage will lead you to all relevant documents.



	IFOAM EU: Strengthening research for organic food and farming systems
	On the occasion of the Commissions conference “Communicating European Research” the IFOAM EU Group published on 14th of November 2005 its position paper on “Organic Farming in the 7th Research Framework Programme” addressing organic research need to Research Commissioner Potocnik. The Group urges the Commission to boost organic farming in the 7th framework programme as it can contribute significantly to achieving several goals of various EU level policy strategies. IFOAM EU Group is especially referring to the Commission’s European Action Plan on Organic Food and Farming, adopted in June 2004, where the Commission underlines its intention to strengthen research on organic farming systems. “It´s now the time to act”, said Francis Blake, president of the Group. “By giving organic farming a prominent role in the 7th Framework Programme, European research would keep its leadership and competitiveness in one of the few innovative fields of agriculture and food”.



	EU review (Commission Regulation 2229/2004) of existing pesticides used in organic farming
	The European Commission is implementing a re-evaluation of substances used as pesticides. These should be notified to the Commission and low risk substances are also included. This affects many substances used in organic farming, especially those which it is not commercially viable to register or to compile safety data. Therefore the European Commission has established a working group on organic faming with experts from the member states. The IFOAM EU Group sent a letter to the Commission suggesting major topics for such kind of group



	IFOAM EU Group publish position paper on Revision of the EU Regulation
	The IFOAM EU Group approved on October 14 its position paper on the revision of the EC Regulation 2092/91 suggesting concrete measures how to improve the Regulation for the future needs of organic farming in Europe. This Regulation has been of great importance to the growth of the organic sector. Therefore in its paper the IFOAM EU Group warmly welcomes the Commission initiative to overhaul the “organic Regulation” to ensure it better reflects the many changes of the past and can cope with the dynamics and challenges of the future. However, a major concern of the Group is that not enough time was given by the European Commission to sufficiently involve the stakeholder into the process of this important step.