EU: Organics Update
The EU has notified the World Trade Organization of a draft regulation that would make it possible to include products suspected of major, critical, or repetitive non-compliances affecting the integrity of organic or in-conversion products or production in the list of high-risk products, which are subject to more stringent import control.
The European Commission has also published an implementing regulation that envisages the publication on a single website of the names and addresses of the operators and groups of operators that have been exempted from the obligation to be in possession of a certificate in accordance with Article 35(8) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
EU: Public Consultation on Rules of Origin Policy
The European Commission has opened a public consultation to assess whether the EU’s non-preferential rules of origin —which are used to determine the “nationality” of imports for the purposes of trade and other policies— are still fit for purpose in light of current EU policies or if they need to be modernized. It also assesses implications for rules of origin used in preferences granted unilaterally by the EU, like the Generalized Scheme of Preferences.
The consultation will be open until December 2, 2025.