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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/4

9 May 2011

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 269/2011

European Union (EU)* : Amendments to Regulation on Organic Production and Labelling of Organic Products

The European Commission (the Commission) has adopted two Regulations to amend Regulation (EC) No. 889/2008 concerning organic production and labelling of organic products. Details are set out in Commission Regulation (EU) No. 344/2011 and 426/2011 respectively, which can be accessed through the following links:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:096:0015:0016:EN:PDF
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:113:0001:0002:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2. Commission Regulation (EC) No. 889/2008 lays down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 834/2007 on organic production and labeling of organic products.
 

3. By Regulation (EU) No. 344/2011, the transitional period set out in Regulation (EC) No. 889/2008 regarding certain labeling provisions for wine shall extend until 31 July 2012 due to the change of the organic labeling system and pending the inclusion of specific Union rules on organic wine-making. Moreover, the Annex VIII of Regulation (EC) No. 889/2008 is amended to include rosemary extract as food additive for the use in organic food processing due to the latest assessment of the European Food Safety Authority. To make it clear that the registration of the organic logo of the EU as a trademark is independent from the rules of Regulations (EC) No. 834/2007 and (EC) No. 889/2008, the link between those rules and any registration has been removed.
 

4. By Regulation (EU) No. 426/2011, the member states shall make available to the public an updated list containing documentary evidence related to each operator in order to give consumers information on the operators and of their products which are subject to the organic farming control system. Regulation (EC) No. 889/2008 should therefore be amended accordingly.

ENQUIRIES

5. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,




(Miss Anita WONG)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.




　

Note ：

  • (1) While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.
  • (2)The biweekly newsletter "Business Alert - EU" of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council provides up-to-date information on the latest developments in EU trade policy and trade regulations. The newsletter is available for free e-subscription and can be accessed through
    http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/eualert.htm.