COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2020/2042

of 11 December 2020

amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/464 as regards its date of application and certain other dates that are relevant for the application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council on organic production

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 (1), and in particular Article 10(6), Article 14(3), Article 15(3), Article 16(3), Article 17(3) and Article 26(7)(d) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related public health crisis, Regulation (EU) 2020/1693 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) postponed the date of application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 by one year, together with other related dates referred to in Regulation (EU) 2018/848.

(2)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/464 (3) laid down certain rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848, in particular as regards the documents needed for the retroactive recognition of periods for the purpose of conversion, the production of organic products and information to be provided by Member States. In the interest of legal certainty, those rules should apply from the date of application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848.

(3)	It is therefore necessary to align the date of application of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/464 and other consequent dates included therein with the date of application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848.

(4)	Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/464 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)	In light of the need to immediately ensure legal certainty for the organic sector on the postponement of the date of entry into application of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/464, this Regulation should enter into force as soon as possible.

(6)	The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Organic Production Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/464 is amended as follows:

(1)	in Article 25 paragraph 4, the second sentence is replaced by the following: ‘That information shall be provided each year by 30 June and for the first time by 30 June 2023 concerning the year 2022.’;

(2)	in Article 26 paragraphs 1, 5, 6 and 7, the words ‘as from 1 January 2029 at the latest’ are replaced by the words ‘as from 1 January 2030 at the latest’;

(3)	in Article 26 paragraphs 2, 3 and 4, the words ‘as from 1 January 2024 at the latest’ are replaced by the words ‘as from 1 January 2025 at the latest’;

(4)	in Article 27, the second paragraph is replaced by the following: ‘It shall apply from 1 January 2022 ’.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 11 December 2020.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 1.

(2) Regulation (EU) 2020/1693 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 November 2020 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products as regards its date of application and certain other dates referred to in that Regulation, OJ L 381, 13.11.2020, p. 1.

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/464 of 26 March 2020 laying down certain rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the documents needed for the retroactive recognition of periods for the purpose of conversion, the production of organic products and information to be provided by Member States (OJ L 98, 31.3.2020, p. 2).