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Reports and Memo's
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Brussels, october 1995
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Decisive years for european consumer protection
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Organic production of slaughter animals
EURO COOP welcomes the Commission's proposal to supplement Regulation (EEC) N°2092/91/EEC on « organic » production to include livestock production. A regulation of this kind comes much closer to the consumers' need for natural and healthier nutrition. They have in fact become increasingly sceptical about intensive agricultural production which leaves much to be desired not only in regard to the quality of the product in many instances but also to the presence of various residues.
For these reasons, the so-called organic production has steadily increased in volume even if altogether it represents hardly more than 2% of the agricultural production. It is therefore a good thing that the different existing practices should be regulated uniformly so that in the future, when the consumer buys a product that is labelled as being organically produced, he can be sure that this is correct and not be misled. « organic » methods of production must however be effectively controlled in practice.
It is obvious that « organic » livestock production can only be carried out by the means of « organically » produced feedingstuffs and in this respect, we call into question Annex II,D. As long as the « conventional feeds » and/or synthetic chemicals referred to in the explanations to the Regulation continue to be given or prescribed, the end product supplied to the consumer can no longer be given an « organic label » but must be declared and marketed as a conventional product.
The argument for this statement is that otherwise
- the producers could, for reasons of competitivity, turn too easily to methods of this kind, and
- the consumers, on the other hand, would be misled about the true nature of the product.
Animals coming from « organic » production which are mistreated during transport or before slaughtering, should likewise not receive the label attesting « organic » production.
Finally, it is important to point out that the term « organic » is misleading for the consumer since conventional production is also inevitably « organic » or biological.
There is logically no « inorganic » production in the sector of plants and living organisms.
It would therefore be better to speak of an « ecological » production because that is what is meant in the first place and what consumers appreciate the most!
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[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]
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