EU farmers have called for impending changes to the bloc's rules on organic farming to "address the practical challenges" faced by farmers in the sector.

This week the Council of the EU confirmed it had reached an agreement with the European Parliament on new rules governing organic food production, labelling, certification and trade.

According to the council, the rules will cut down on red tape for organic farmers, and will also prevent food containing imported non-organic products from using the EU organic label.

Copa Cogeca, the umbrella group of EU farm organisations (which includes the Irish Farmers' Association) broadly welcomed the agreement on the rules, saying it represents a "significant milestone".

According to Copa, the agreement avoids potential disruption to international trade and provides greater predictability for operators across the organic supply.

Copa also welcomed a derogation to allow the use of non-organic protein feed for organic pigs and poultry.

While the EU farm organisation said the final legal text on these changes, when it comes, will need to be "carefully assessed", Copa welcomed the rule change as "an important step towards ensuring a stable and workable regulatory framework" for European organic production.

Copa also said the regulations will "preserve the integrity of the EU organic sector".

The organisation called on the EU institutions to ensure that the implementation of the revised rules "effectively address" the practical challenges for organic farmers.

Copa also called for continued dialogue with the sector, saying this would be essential to ensure that the regulatory framework "remains both workable and consistent with the high standards" of EU organics.

Council agreement

The agreement between the council and the parliament was also welcomed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, who currently chairs the meetings of the EU's agriculture ministers as Ireland holds the rotating presidency of the council.

Minister Heydon said: "Today's agreement on the Targeted Amendments to the EU Organics Regulation demonstrates our commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture and creating the conditions for the organic sector to continue to thrive across the European Union."

According to Minister Heydon, the rule changes will "give operators greater predictability while helping consumers make informed choices and ensuring fair competition between EU and non-EU producers".