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Gesellschaft für Ressourcenschutz mbH (GfRS) (2003) Systematic gap analysis of the control system under Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 and proposals for the further development of the control system and inspection procedures in organic agriculture
Report,
Geschäftsstelle Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau in der Geschäftsstelle in der Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE), D-Bonn
Document:
Abstract
Online at http://orgprints.org/2495/
Within the framework of the project, a systematic gap analysis was made of the control system and the inspection procedures under Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs as amended (EEC-regulation on organic farming). Proposals were identified for proactive risk management on the basis of this analysis. The proposals were founded on the objectives of EEC-regulation on organic farming to protect the consumer and promote fair competition and transparency on the marketplace for organic products, as well as the promotion of organic agriculture.
The requirements of the EEC-regulation on organic farming are additional to the ones of the general legislation on foodstuffs and feedingstuff. The special quality of the organic products results from the production process. These processes are verified by private inspection bodies during on-site inspection visits and by document checks and chemical analyses of the truth of same.
Irregularities manifest infringements and cases of fraud detected in the past have been ana-lyzed during the study. The potential risk areas of groups of selected sensitive products (ce-reals, fruit and vegetables, and meat) were presented in a diagram of the flow of products from the farm to the table. As a result of this analysis, it is clear that, in the future, control must be centered more on the units of processing, importation, feedingstuff and trade com-panies with a wide market coverage.
Proposals are presented for a more efficient network of cooperation and work on the part of all the institutions involved in the process, the federal government, the Länder, and the private inspection bodies.
The “Compilation of materials for the internal quality assurance system for operators” contains individual risk management measures for operators which are subject to the control regime.
The “Manual for inspection bodies” provides a series of risk-orientated inspection procedures. They comprise both the introduction of risk-orientated inspection elements (e.g. identification and management of “critical points” in the production process) and the introduction of control mechanisms throughout the production chain (e.g. cross checks by the inspection bodies).
In order to cover the existing legislative loopholes, the study also proposes some amendments of the legal provisions of the EEC-regulation on organic farming including minimum inspection requirements for wholesalers.
Keywords: control, inspection, certification, gap analysis, risk assessment, risk based controls, risk management
Relevance to our study:
This is a basic analysis on organic inspection and evaluates potential risks. In order to cover the existing legislative loopholes, the study also proposes some amendments of the legal provisions of the EEC-regulation on organic farming including minimum inspection requirements for wholesalers.
Relevancy on a scale from 1 to 5 = 3
Review status: Finished
Review started on 2009–05–19
Reviewed by Elisabeth Rüegg?
Comments:
