This guide is for authorities and control bodies in countries outside the European Union (EU). It explains the new EU control system for the import of organic products into the EU, as introduced by the Organic Regulation (EU) 2018/848, which sets new requirements for the inspection and certification of organic products exported to the European market.

The EU Organic Regulation 2018/848 is a legal act of the European Union, embedded in the EU’s wider regulatory framework. This guide aims to explain the legal control requirements of the Organic Regulation in a simplified form for authorities in non-EU countries and control bodies (CBs) active in those countries. It refers to legal texts to help users find the relevant regulatory text. Note that it is not an official interpretation by the European Commission. This guide will continue to evolve as the EU, Member States, or EU courts continue to introduce new secondary acts, additional measures, or rulings to Regulation 2018/848.

AGRINFO has also published Guidance for operators and groups of operators on the production, preparation, and export of organic plant products into the European Union. That guidance explains the rules that apply for organic plant production, simple preparation/processing, storage, and export of organic products.

For a full overview of the new applicable rules, reading both guidance documents is recommended. This document focuses on the organic control system, which verifies compliance with the applicable production rules of Regulation 2018/848. These production rules are not explained in this document, but are described in detail in the Guidance for operators and groups of operators.