New organic EU logo postponed

Kreuzer in Organic Market - info 26th of March 2008: The new organic EU logo which should be implemented beginning with the 1st of January 2009 will be postponed. This is the information Organic-Market.Info got from Mr Michael Mann from the EU Commission. The statement says: "The European Commission is fully committed to promoting and encouraging the organic food sector in the European Union. Part of this process is an EU-funded promotion programme for organic food and the development of a new EU logo for all organic products. The Commission has decided to launch a promotion programme this summer." "As part of this programme, we will launch a competition, open to all EU citizens, to design a new logo. This will replace the draft logo which has recently been circulated", it says. To allow sufficient time for a suitable logo to be selected, the Commission will ask the Council to delay by one year (to 2010) the date on which the EU logo becomes compulsory. The reason for the withdrawal of the proposed logo was a big German discounter. "Aldi did contact the Commission to say it felt there was a similarity between the proposed EU logo and its own private logo", Mr. Mann wrote... STILL THE NEW ORGANIC STANDARD-REGULATION IS EXPECTED TO COME IN FORCE 1. Jan 2009

New European Organic Regulation under way

From 1st of January 2009 a new European Regulation (standard) on organic agriculture will come in force and replace the previous EEC No 2092/91

clipped from www.organic-europe.net In December 2006 the European Commission reached a general approach on the revision of the regulation.. On June 12, 2007, the Agriculture Ministers of the European Union reached political agreement on a new regulation on organic production and labelling. The new regulation was published on July 20, 2007 and will come into force on Janury 1, 2009 ( Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91).

Cambodia Bans Rice Exports

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday banned all rice exports from the country in a bid to halt the staple food's spiraling domestic prices.

Rice prices have risen sharply from about 40 cents/kg as speculation of shortages grip local markets, sparking demands that the government put a cap on costs.

Despite GDP growth averaging 11% over the past three years, more than a third of the country's 14 million people live on less than 50 cents a day, making even the slightest rise of food costs devastating to Cambodia's poorest.

source: Oryza March 26,2008