On February 8, 2016, the Committee of the European Parliament ("EP") adopted a report including a set of proposed revisions to EU organic farming standards published by the European Commission ("EC") on March 24, 2014. In particular, the EP disagreed with the EC's proposal to eliminate the organic certificate from farming products that have been contaminated with GMOs or pesticides. The EC's proposal applies even when products have been contaminated by GMOs or pesticides that have previously been authorized for use in foods within the EU. The rejection by the EP was a result of concerns raised by Germany and France over the possibility that the proposed rule might hold back the expansion of the agro-ecology in Europe, as accidental contamination by chemicals or by approved GMOs (e.g., during transport or storage) cannot be avoided.
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