According to Taiwan's Central News Agency, the United States and the European Union signed an agreement today in Nuremberg, Germany, to integrate organic food certification, aiming to streamline administrative processes and facilitate the sale of organic crops produced in the US and EU in each other's markets. Initial estimates suggest this agreement could generate €40 billion in mutual benefits.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11363/
According to the English-language weekly newspaper European Voice, the EU and the US signed the agreement to integrate their organic food certifications in Nuremberg, which will reduce unnecessary administrative procedures and make it easier for operators to sell goods in both markets.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11363/
In principle, from June 1st of this year, organic crops produced in both Europe and America can be directly sold in each other's markets. As the consumption of organic food in Europe and America accounts for 90% of the global market, it is estimated that after the integration of the certification agreement between the two sides, they can jointly profit 40 billion euros.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11363/
Organic food's market share in the EU is growing at a rate of 6% annually, and the EU hopes that the harmonisation of certification agreements will further accelerate this growth in organic food market share.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11363/
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Cioloș stated that an agreement to integrate the certification mechanisms of both sides will help make organic food certification standards more transparent, strengthen consumer confidence in products, and boost recognition of organic food and products.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11363/
According to reports, before the organic food certifications of the European Union and the United States were integrated, their respective organic food certification standards were largely similar. The difference was that the US allowed antibiotics to be applied to apples and pears to prevent invasive bacterial infections, whereas the EU only agreed that antibiotics could be used on animals infected with pathogens.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11363/
Finally, both parties agreed to reach an agreement on a complete ban on the use of antibiotics, allowing industry operators to significantly save on verification fees, paperwork, and inspection costs.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11363/