Livestock production: organic production of agricultural products, indication on foodstuffs (Regul. 2092/91/EEC)

In adopting the report by Mrs Marie-Christine BARTHET-MAYER (ARE, F), the European Parliament endorsed the Commission's proposals on the monitoring of the quality of the organic production of agricultural foodstuffs. The report emphasizes the need to encourage sustainable agriculture, based on a land-plant-livestock balance, preserving biodiversity, ensuring high quality and increasingly using renewable energies. It calls for the regulation to enable the Member States to apply specific rules that take account of the particular features of their agricultural sector. On the other hand, it proposes that various modifications or additions should be made, especially as regards the following aspects: - greater opportunities for monitoring products and increased independence and powers for the monitoring bodies; - improvement of labelling: presentation by the Commission, by 1 January 1998, of a European logo linked to the monitoring carried out by an inspection authority accredited by an independent organization; - prohibition of the use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and of viral live vaccines in organic agriculture; - prevention of distortions of competition that might occur among the Member States. �