The CJEU interprets the requirements for the use of the organic production logo of the European Union

In its judgment of October 4, 2024 (C-240/23), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) addressed the interpretation of various provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/848, on organic production and labeling of organic products.

The question examined consisted in determining whether a product imported from a third country that did not comply with all the requirements of said Regulation 2018/848, but which was considered equivalent under the rules of that third country, could use the organic production logo of the EU and include terms referring to organic production.

The European court concluded that a food product imported from a third country may only bear the organic production logo of the EU if it complies with all of the requirements of EU law, regardless of whether the rules on production in that third country are recognized as equivalent. In the court’s opinion, given that the purpose of the organic production logo of the EU is to clearly inform consumers that the product on which it appears is fully compliant with all the requirements of EU law (and not just with rules equivalent to such law), if this limitation were not established, there would be a risk of harming fair competition within the internal market in organic products and of generating ambiguity which could mislead consumers.

However, the judgment states that the organic production logo of a third country may be used in the EU on the imported products, even when they contain terms referring to organic production, since the court considers that such a logo is not liable to give the impression that the imported products concerned comply with all the production and control rules of the EU.