News
IFOAM Organics Europe and European Citizens' Initiative condemn "fake pesticide reduction"
Methodologies are a political choice: Harmonised Risk-Indicator (HRI-1) misleads EU citizens and harms organic agriculture BRUSSELS/VIENNA, 30 SEPTEMBER 2024 –…
16/09/2024
Plant health care
Task force on biocontrol starts its work
IFOAM Organics Europe’s new Task Force on Biocontrol will take up its work in September. The group will discuss this…
EU Organic Regulation updates: FAQ on organic rules & second list of compliant control bodies
The Commission has updated its Frequently asked questions on organic rules with new topics. It now also clarifies questions on:…
CDG meeting on organic farming: Agroforestry, plant protection & compliance
Organic stakeholders exchanged with the Commission on synergies between agroforestry and organic, plant protection products and the regulatory switch from…
Positive steps for EU’s resilience in Council decisions on nature restoration, soil monitoring law & green claims
On 17 June, European legislation on soil, nature, and environmental labelling took a few steps forward as the Council of…
Open webinar on biodiversity management in organic greenhouses
We are organising a series of free and open webinars relevant to organic farming as part of our involvement in…
31/05/2024
Plant health care
Policies should promote uptake of biocontrol
The European organic movement and international biocontrol manufacturers call on the European Commission to ensure faster registration and uptake of…
26/04/2024
Plant health care
IBMA and IFOAM Organics Europe call for policies to promote the uptake of biocontrol
IFOAM Organics Europe and the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) call for policies to promote the uptake of safe, environmentally…
Soil health and global food security – Organic & biocontrol’s contribution
On 25 April 2024, high-level experts and policymakers deliberated the different areas regarding biocontrol, organic soil health and research and…
Nature restoration in jeopardy – Member States’ Environment Ministers endanger another EU law
After reaching a trilogue agreement on the Nature Restoration Law last November, adoption of a piece of European Union legislation…
Organics Europe's stance on Member State's efforts to delay anti-deforestation law (EUDR)
Some EU Member States, spearheaded by Austria and endorsed by Finland, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden, are trying to weaken…
New faces and new projects in the Research & Innovation Unit
A new year means new research and innovation (R&I) projects! Several new Horizon Europe projects in which IFOAM Organics Europe…
Von der Leyen yields to farmer’s groups demands to shelve the Sustainable Use of Pesticide Regulation proposal
This week the European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen announced in a concession to farmers, after weeks of protests…
Political Hotspot December 2023
With an eye on next year’s elections, the EU institutions have geared up work on many important dossiers. But rushing…
Fostering EU-international cooperation in research & innovation to transform agri-food systems
Right before the EU’s annual Agricultural Outlook conference, TP Organics held its event EU-international cooperation in research & innovation to…
23/11/2023
Plant health care
European Parliament rejects Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR)
On 22 November, the plenary of the European Parliament voted to reject the proposal of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides…
Sprouting discontent: organic movement regrets European Parliament's failure to pesticides reduction
BRUSSELS, 22 NOVEMBER 2023 – IFOAM Organics Europe regrets the European Parliament’s inability to agree on a pesticides reduction regulation. …
Protecting our soils across the EU
In July, the European Commission published its proposal on a Soil Monitoring and Resilience law. As IFOAM Organics Europe, we…
IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes progress on pesticides reduction negotiations
BRUSSELS, 24 OCTOBER 2023 – IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes the vote today of the European Parliament Environment Committee on the…
Baking soda more dangerous than synthetic pesticides? - EU decision-makers on the brink of endorsing deceptive pesticide metrics
16 OCTOBER 2023, BRUSSELS, PARIS, BERLIN, VIENNA – As the Council opens negotiations today on ‘Targets and Indicators’ the European…
10/10/2023
Plant health care
Baking Soda more dangerous than Glyphosate & Co.?
Invitation to Online Press Conference 16 October 9:00 AM CEST Join us on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83162329706?pwd=WkRFOTFuRVFFYitEdkRzcFNoYTArZz09Meeting ID: 831 6232 9706Passcode: 284856 BRUSSELS,…
Celebrating life – a few highlights from th September 2023 Newsletter!
Recently we issued the last edition of our newsletter. Wondering why it’s interesting for you? We have prepared a quick…
BIOFRUITNET project promoting cross-border knowledge exchange comes to an end
Over the past 3.5 years the BIOFRUITNET project has collected and synthesized existing practical and scientific knowledge on organic fruit-growing,…
Debate and discussion: Which recycled nutrients products could be suitable for organic farming?
On 18 September, 14:00-17:00, we are holding an online workshop on Recycled Nutrients for Organic Farming with the European Sustainable…
12/07/2023
Soil
From a Soil Health law to a Soil Monitoring Directive
On 5 July, the European Commission published its proposal concerning a Soil Monitoring and Resilience law. IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes…
BIOFRUITNET project: Making stronger networks in organic fruit growing
Knowledge sharing is key for bringing together innovative ideas and identify new solutions in organic farming. The Horizon 2020 BIOFRUITNET…
New video on organic plant health care & updates on the SUR
We are happy to announce that we just published a new video on the organic approach to plant health care…
23/03/2023
Plant health care
The Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR), moving forward but slowly
The legislative process of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR) proposed by the European Commission back in June 2022…
Scientific study shows synthetic pesticides significantly more dangerous than natural ones
More organic farming means less pesticide use and risk BRUSSELS, VIENNA, 23 FEBRUARY 2023 – The European Green Deal’s targets of…
Online press conference: Conventional and organic pesticides compared, 23 February
“Organic farming is not what it claims to be. Organic farmers also spray poisons – and not too sparingly.” “Organic…
Innovative solutions in organic fruit production – BIOFRUITNET project's final conference - 2 March 2023, 9:15-13.30 (CET), online
Organic farming relies on knowledge and information flow and has a biodiversity-based approach to plant health. Sharing the available best…
Organic movement's recommendations on EU pesticides regulation (SUR)
IFOAM Organics Europe’s position paper gathering our recommendations on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR) is out. As our…
Save the bees and farmers hearing at the European Parliament
The official hearing of the European Citizens (ECI) Initiative Save the Bees and Farmers, which we are part of, take…
Member States call for ‘new impact assessment’ on the Pesticides Regulation (SUR), delaying strict EU pesticide regulation
On 19 December, Member States1 voted in favour of requesting complementary data to the existing impact assessment the Commission carried…
16/12/2022
Plant health care
EU pesticides regulation (SUR) under attacks from Member States & industry
The EU Pesticide Reduction proposal SUR has been under attack by lobbyists. They developed a strategy to delay and possibly…
Promoting recycled fertilizers in Europe: IFOAM Organics Europe position paper & outcomes policy workshop on closing the nutrients’ cycle
On 28 February, IFOAM Organics Europe has published a new position paper on the Commission’s Integrated Nutrients Management Action Plan…
November newsletter: SUR, GMO-free event, and more!
Two weeks ago, we published our November newsletter and it’s rich in updates and information on the hottest organic topics!…
Agreement on new deforestation law
EU consumption is responsible for around 10% of global deforestation. In the beginning of December, the Council and European Parliament…
06/12/2022
Plant health care
Bold pesticide reduction plan faces attack on Saturday
BRUSSELS, 6 DECEMBER 2022 – EU plans to cut pesticide use and risk by half and protect the most sensitive…
Press conference: EU pesticide reduction under fierce attack
In June 2022, the EU Commission presented a legislative proposal on the “sustainable use of plant protection products” (SUR), which…
24/11/2022
Plant health care
Political Hotspot - November 2022
The legislative process of revising the EU’s pesticide legislation, the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR), is full of hurdles,…
Welcome note November 2022
Dear reader, I am happy to welcome you to this year’s last edition of our newsletter. I am proud to…
1 million EU citizens knock on EU’s door: No synthetic pesticides to save bees & farmers
Over 1 million EU citizens are asking to restore nature, provide healthy food, healthy soil and clean water. On Friday 25…
‘Way forward in organic plant health care strategies’ Conference, 17-18 November 2022, online
On 17 & 18 November, IFOAM Organics Europe, BÖLW and JKI Institüte organised an online conference on the ‘Way forward…
09/11/2022
Plant health care
Commission's fertiliser communication, short term fixes, no long-term solutions
In its Communication on ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers, the EU Commission postpones necessary changes to achieve more sustainable food systems by…
03/11/2022
Plant health care
Organic movement asks for higher environmental ambition in the upcoming Fertiliser Communication & digitalization of pesticide use data in SAIO’s implementing act
Upcoming Fertilizers Communication of the Commission On 24 October, we co-signed a joint letter with 9 NGOs calling on the…
25/10/2022
Soil
Organic movement responds to public consultation on Soil Health Law
Soil health is a cornerstone of organic farming and common organic farming practices improve actively soil quality. Healthy soils are…
Updates on pesticides and recycled nutrients: Regulation (SUR), statistics and data
IFOAM Organics Europe welcomed the Commission’s proposal on the revision of the Sustainable Use of pesticides Regulation (SUR). It could…
21/09/2022
Soil
Public consultation on Soil Health Law is open
The European Commission has opened a public consultation on the Soil Health Law to which everyone can submit feedback until…
28/06/2022
Plant health care
Got pesticides in your body? It’s your last chance to find out
Pesticides threaten our food and farming systems.They kill pollinators like bees, reduce the quality of soils, endanger the health of…