The transition period for Brexit ends on 31st December 2020. From this date there are serious implications for Irish organic license holders. See below for some key points which may be of particular relevance to you;

Seeds / Transplants: Under the Plant Health Reg 2016/2031 Irish Organic operators buying seeds/transplants from the UK (excl. Northern Ireland) or selling seeds/transplants to the UK (excl. Northern Ireland) will be required to register with DAFM as a professional operator. This registration will also cover imports and exports to and from the UK. All seeds, plants and plant products coming from the UK (excl. Northern Ireland) from January 1^st 2021 will require a phytosanitary certificate. CLICK HERE to read more about the necessary registration documents, import and export procedures and FAQ.

Organic Food/Feed: All registered organic operators purchasing food/feed products from UK (excl. Northern Ireland) must register on TRACES as an organic importer and comply with specific advance notification requirements required by DAFM. Labels/packaging for existing products containing ingredients of agricultural origin in the UK must be amended to reflect the non-EU origin of those ingredients all label amendments must be sent to IOA for approval prior to printing. CLICK HERE for information on TRACES.

Northern Ireland Organic Agricultural Products: Because of the Northern Ireland Protocol and subject to the final Brexit outcome (and associated trade deal) organic food, feed and seeds/transplants of agricultural origin in Northern Ireland can be imported to the Republic of Ireland as “EU Organic” (and therefore without the necessity for an electronic Certificate of Inspection from TRACES. These products can be labelled with the EU organic logo as EU Agriculture. This is provided their certification body (if not an established Republic of Ireland OCB is already operating in Northern Ireland), is established in Northern Ireland, is approved by the European Commission and is listed in Annex III of the most up to date amended version of Commission Regulation 1235/2008.

For more information please consult the European Commission and Food Safety Authority of Ireland websites, see specific links below:

https://ec.europa.eu/info/european-union-and-united-kingdom-forging-new-partnership/future-partnership/getting-ready-end-transition-period_en

https://www.fsai.ie/food_businesses/brexit.html

The National Organic Food Awards online ceremony takes place on October 21st with a large number of companies certified by the Irish Organic Association shortlisted for the 7 categories. To find out more CLICK HERE

Reuben Cope converted to organic farming in January 2019 and has found it very rewarding to date. To read about his farm enterprises CLICK HERE

The Farming for Nature Ambassadors is now in its third year. The aim of the programme is to celebrate people who farm in harmony with nature. This year 4 IOA members have made the final 8 and voting is open until September 23rd at midnight. To vote please CLICK HERE

The European Commission has today launched a public consultation on its future Action Plan on Organic Farming. This sector will play an important role in achieving the European Green Deal ambition, and reaching the objectives set out in the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies. It is a priority for the Commission to ensure that the organic farming sector has the right tools in place as well as a well-functioning and consensual legal framework which is key to achieving the objective of 25% of agricultural land dedicated to organic farming. 

The Public Consultation is open from September 4th to November 27th 2020. CLICK HERE for the link