The European Commission announced that the two-year transition period for the organic food sector to comply with new EU labelling rules is reaching its end. As from 1 July 2012, the EU organic logo will be obligatory on all pre-packaged organic food products produced in EU Member States which meet the necessary standards.

 The "Euro-leaf", the EU organic logo, will be mandatory from 1 July 2012. It will be obligatory on all pre-packaged organic food products produced in EU Member States which meet the necessary standards. The logo will stay optional for non-packed and imported organic products. Other private, regional or national logos will continue to be allowed to appear alongside the EU label. The logo was designed by a German student in 2010.

In addition, the European Commission announced that a Eurobarometer report that will be published shortly, includes information on the EU organic logo and provides the encouraging indication that, since its introduction in July 2010, the logo has already gained recognition among a quarter (24%) of EU citizens.

EU consumption of organic products has seen a steady rise in recent years and now accounts for roughly 2% of the EU market, says the Commission. Production has also increased considerably in the past decade – with roughly 5% of EU agricultural area and more than 2% of farms (more than 200,000 farms) now certified as organic.