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Imports from Third Countries

EU legislation

Commission Regulation (EC) No. 345/2008 (no longer in force) (OJ L108, p8, 18/04/2008) of 17 April 2008 laying down detailed rules for implementing the arrangements for imports from third countries provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (no longer in force) on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs (Recast)

Certificate of inspection for imports

Commission Regulation (EC) No. 605/2008 (no longer in force) (OJ L 166, p3, 27/06/2008) of 20 June 2008 laying down detailed rules for implementing the provisions concerning the certificate of inspection for imports from third countries under Article 11 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (no longer in force) on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs (Codified version)

Article 11(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 stipulates that a product imported from a third country may be placed on the European Community market and labelled as a product with indications referring to the organic production method provided that:

  1. the product complies with the provisions set out in Articles 5 and 6 of Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91;
  2. all operators, including the exporters, have submitted their activities to an inspection body or an inspection authority recognised in accordance with Article 11 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 and,
  3. the operators concerned must be able to provide at any time, to the importers or the national authorities, documentary evidence permitting the identification of the operator who carried out the last operation and the type or range of products under his control, as well as permitting verification of compliance by that operator with points 1. and 2. and the period of validity.

The Annex to Commission Regulation (EC) No. 345/2008 (no longer in force) contains a list of those Third countries and relevant specifications who meet the above criteria. This list in the Annex gives all the information deemed necessary in respect of each third country to permit the identification of products covered by the rules and particularly:

  • the authority or the body or bodies responsible in the third country for issuing inspection certificates with a view to importing into the European Community,
  • the inspection authority or authorities in the third country and/or the private bodies recognised by the said third country to carry out supervision.

Furthermore, where relevant, the list states:

  • the preparation units and exporters subject to the system of inspection,
  • the products covered by the rules.