EU Certification Program
Brief overview of the OTCO's EU certification program and related FAQs
Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) offers a proactive service to further evaluate USDA National Organic Program NOP certified crop and handling operations for equivalence with European Union (EU) organic standards established in European Council Regulations EC 834/2007 and 889/2008. This service will benefit OTCO operators whose NOP certified crops and products are sold to a processor, handler and/or distributor exporting to the EU.
Evaluation of equivalence is done through the use of a set of Private Standards titled ACB EU Equivalent Standard, formally named; Accredited Certification Bodies Equivalent European Union Organic Production & Processing Standard for Third Countries. In addition to the NOP Organic Management Plan (Application), operators will need to submit an EU Equivalence Plan Supplement (available for download here). Then, in conjunction with evaluation for NOP certification, OTCO inspectors will report on additional EU requirements. Upon successful evaluation, OTCO will issue a Declaration of Compliance for crops and products that meet the EU standards. This document will support sale of organic products as EU-compliant and expedite the issuance of Certificates of Inspection currently required for all shipments of organic products to the EU.
Downloads:
Additional Information:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact Jim Pierce, Oregon Tilth Global Certification Manager
