Executive Summary:
Regulation (EU) 2023/2419 establishes specific labelling requirements for organic pet food, aligning them with standards for organic food to increase consumer confidence and promote the organic pet food sector. It allows for the use of organic production terms and the EU organic logo under certain conditions. The regulation came into force on October 30, 2023, with the mandatory use of the EU organic production logo on prepacked pet food effective from May 1, 2024.
Key Points / Main Content:
Labelling Requirements:
* Sets specific labelling requirements for pet food produced according to organic feed production rules outlined in Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
* This regulation constitutes specific Union law related to placing products on the market per Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
Use of Organic Production Terms:
* Terms referring to organic production may be used in the sales description and ingredient list if at least 95% of agricultural ingredients are organic and production rules are met.
* If less than 95% of agricultural ingredients are organic, the terms can only be used in the ingredient list, provided specific conditions are met.
* For pet food with ingredients from hunting or fishing, organic terms can be used if the main ingredient is from hunting/fishing, all other agricultural ingredients are organic, and other conditions are satisfied.
* The percentage of organic ingredients must be indicated in the ingredient list.
* Organic references must have the same color, size, and style as other indications in the ingredient list.
Use of the EU Organic Production Logo:
* The EU organic production logo can only be used if the pet food complies with Article 3(1)(a).
* The EU organic production logo is mandatory on the packaging of prepacked pet food that meets the specified conditions.
Transitional Measures:
* Allows the sale of organic pet food labelled according to national rules or private standards (accepted by Member States between January 1, 2022, and October 30, 2023) until stocks are exhausted.
Impact Analysis:
Operators:
* Impact: Must adhere to the new labelling requirements for organic pet food, including the use of specific terms and the EU organic logo.
* Action Required: Update labelling practices to comply with the regulation, particularly for prepacked pet food, by May 1, 2024, and manage existing stock labelled under previous standards.
Consumers:
* Impact: Will receive clearer and more consistent information about the organic content of pet food.
* Action Required: Become familiar with the new labelling standards to make informed purchasing decisions.
National Authorities:
* Impact: Responsible for ensuring compliance with the new regulations.
* Action Required: Enforce the new labelling rules and monitor the market for compliance.
Key Entities Referenced
European Parliament: One of the two legislative bodies of the European Union.
Council of the European Union: One of the two legislative bodies of the European Union, consisting of government ministers from each member state.
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
European Commission: An executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU.
Common Agricultural Policy CAP: The agricultural policy of the European Union.
European Green Deal: A set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching goal of making Europe climate neutral in 2050.
Regulation (EU) 2018/848: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on organic production and labelling of organic products.
Organic production logo of the European Union: A logo indicating that a product complies with European Union organic production standards.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2023/2419 27.10.2023
REGULATION (EU) 2023/2419 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 18 October 2023
on the labelling of organic pet food
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 43(2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee(1),
Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure(2),
Whereas:
(1) Taking into consideration the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of ensuring a fair income for
farmers and of responding to the demands of society for food and health, the growing consumer demand for
organic products is an opportunity for further expansion of the pet food sector and for an increase in the income of
farmers engaged in organic production. Acknowledging the fact that the pet food sector has a role to play in
contributing to the objectives of the European Green Deal, as well as recognising the new labelling measures
provided for in this Regulation and the uniform use of the organic production logo of the European Union, should
help to develop and promote the pet food sector, both through the sale of products to consumers who are mindful
of the organic content of the products they buy and through the opportunity to bring about added value to organic
by-products and co-products. The pet food sector should thus be able to contribute, albeit modestly, to achieving an
increase in Union agricultural land under organic farming by 2030, as envisaged in the Commission
Communication of 19 April 2021on an Action Plan for the development of organic production.
(2) Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council(3)lays down rules on organic production
and labelling of organic products. That Regulation applies both to feed for food-producing animals and to feed for
pets, namely pet food. Under that Regulation, non-organic ingredients of agricultural origin may be authorised for
all types of organic feed, while a term referring to organic production cannot be used in the sales description where
not all of the agricultural ingredients are organic, regardless of the extent to which that is the case. Moreover, such
feed cannot bear the organic production logo of the European Union. Consequently, final consumers are not
directly informed about the compliance of the product with organic production rules.
(3) Operators are informed about the composition and the proportion of organic, in-conversion and non-organic
ingredients in compound feed in accordance with point 2.1.2 of Annex III to Regulation (EU) 2018/848. By
contrast, when feed is sold directly at retail level to final consumers, there are currently no rules concerning the
provision of information on the organic ingredients in compound feed where not all of the agricultural ingredients
are organic. The presence of non-organic agricultural ingredients is particularly relevant for pet food. Final
consumers should be appropriately informed about the composition of pet food containing both organic and non-
organic agricultural ingredients, thus enabling consumer confidence and fair competition between operators in the
pet food sector.
(1) OJ C 140, 21.4.2023, p. 55.
(2) Position of the European Parliament of 12 September 2023 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of
9 October 2023.
(3) 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 (OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 1).
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(4) Prior to the application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848, and in accordance with Article 95(5) of Commission
Regulation (EC) No 889/2008(4), certain Member States had established national rules or recognised private
standards that allowed the use of a term referring to organic production in the sales description of pet food when at
least 95 % of the agricultural ingredients of the product by weight were organic, mirroring the rules for organic
processed food.
(5) For the purposes of consumer information, consistency and transparency in the market, and to stimulate the use of
organic ingredients, it should also be made possible to refer, under certain conditions, to organic production in the
sales description and in the list of ingredients of pet food. The labelling rules for organic pet food at Union level
should therefore mirror those for organic food, given that both categories of products are mainly sold at retail level
to final consumers.
(6) For that reason, it is appropriate to provide for labelling requirements for pet food which constitute other specific
Union law relating to the placing of products on the market for the purposes of Article 2(5) of Regulation
(EU) 2018/848. Given that pet food is feed for a specific category of animals, the provisions of Regulation
(EU) 2018/848 which apply to feed should remain applicable to pet food, in particular those on production,
certification, control, marketing, and trade with third countries.
(7) Information on compliance with organic production rules should be provided through the terms referring to organic
production in the sales description and in the list of ingredients, as well as through the use of the organic production
logo of the European Union. In order to facilitate awareness about compliance with organic production rules, the
organic production logo of the European Union should be obligatory for all prepacked pet food complying with
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and with this Regulation and produced within the Union, as is the case for prepacked
food pursuant to Article 32(1), point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
(8) In order to promote the further development of the pet food sector, it is appropriate to introduce specific provisions
on the labelling of organic pet food, on the use of terms referring to organic production in the sales description and
in the list of ingredients, and on the use of the organic production logo of the European Union. Special labelling
provisions should also be laid down to allow final consumers to identify the organic ingredients that are used in
products which consist mainly of an ingredient that stems from hunting or fishing, provided that all other
agricultural ingredients are organic.
(9) Operators continued after 1 January 2022to label pet food in accordance with national rules or private standards
due to the restricted availability under organic form of certain necessary agricultural ingredients such as certain feed
materials and feed additives to enhance the palatability of pet food, or to guarantee nutritional value. It is therefore
appropriate to allow the exhaustion of stocks of products which have been labelled in accordance with those
national rules or with those private standards accepted or recognised by the Member States in accordance with
Article 95(5) of Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 between 1 January 2022 and the date of entry into force of this
Regulation.
(10) It is appropriate to provide for a deferred date of application of the obligation to use the organic production logo of
the European Union on the labelling of prepacked pet food in order to enable operators to prepare fully for the
application of the new labelling requirements.
(11) Since the objective of this Regulation, namely the adoption of uniform rules for the labelling of organic pet food,
cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather be better achieved at Union level, the Union
may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on
European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does
not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective,
(4) Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 of 5 September 2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council
Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products with regard to organic production, labelling
and control (OJ L 250, 18.9.2008, p. 1).
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HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Subject matter
This Regulation lays down specific labelling requirements for pet food produced in accordance with the rules concerning
organic production of feed provided for in Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
This Regulation constitutes other specific Union law relating to the placing of products on the market for the purposes of
Article 2(5) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
Article 2
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:
(1) ‘pet food’ means feed within the meaning of Article 3, point (46), of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 which is intended for
pets as defined in Article 3(2), point (f), of Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 of the European Parliament and of the
Council(5);
(2) ‘prepacked pet food’ means any single item of pet food for presentation as such to the final consumer, consisting of pet
food and the packaging into which it was put before being offered for sale, whether such packaging encloses the pet
food completely or only partially, but in any event in such a way that the contents cannot be altered without opening
or changing the packaging; ‘prepacked pet food’ does not cover pet food which is packed on the sales premises at the
final consumer’s request or pet food which is prepacked for direct sale.
Article 3
Use of terms referring to organic production on the labelling of pet food
1. For pet food, the terms referred to in Article 30(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 may be used:
(a) in the sales description and in the list of ingredients, provided that:
(i) the pet food complies with the detailed production rules set out in Part V of Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/848
and with the processing techniques laid down in accordance with Article 17(3) of that Regulation; and
(ii) at least 95 % of the agricultural ingredients of the product by weight are organic;
(b) only in the list of ingredients, provided that:
(i) less than 95 % of the agricultural ingredients of the product by weight are organic, and that those ingredients
comply with the production rules set out in Regulation (EU) 2018/848;
(ii) only feed additives and processing aids authorised pursuant to Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 are used in
the processing of the pet food; and
(iii) the pet food complies with the detailed production rules set out in points 1.5, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.4 of Part V of
Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and with the processing techniques laid down in accordance with
Article 17(3) of that Regulation.
(5) Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on the placing on the market and use of
feed, amending European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 and repealing Council Directive 79/373/EEC,
Commission Directive 80/511/EEC, Council Directives 82/471/EEC, 83/228/EEC, 93/74/EEC, 93/113/EC and 96/25/EC and
Commission Decision 2004/217/EC (Feed marketing Regulation) (OJ L 229, 1.9.2009, p. 1).
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2. For pet food containing ingredients stemming from hunting or fishing, the terms referred to in Article 30(1) of
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 may be used in the sales description and in the list of ingredients provided that:
(a) the main ingredient is a product of hunting or fishing;
(b) those terms are clearly related in the sales description to an organic ingredient other than the main ingredient;
(c) all other agricultural ingredients are organic;
(d) only feed additives and processing aids authorised pursuant to Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 are used in the
processing of the pet food; and
(e) the pet food complies with the detailed production rules set out in points 1.5, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.4 of Part V of Annex II to
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and with the processing techniques laid down in accordance with Article 17(3) of that
Regulation.
3. The list of ingredients referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall indicate which ingredients are organic. The references to
organic production may only appear in relation to the organic ingredients.
4. The list of ingredients referred to in paragraph 1, point (b), and in paragraph 2 shall include an indication of the total
percentage of organic ingredients in proportion to the total quantity of agricultural ingredients.
5. The terms referred to in Article 30(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and the indication of the percentage referred to in
paragraph 4 of this Article shall appear in the same colour and in an identical size and style of lettering as the other
indications in the list of ingredients referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article.
Article 4
Use of the organic production logo of the European Union on the labelling of pet food
1. The organic production logo of the European Union referred to in Article 33 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 may only
be used in the labelling, presentation and advertising of pet food complying with the conditions referred to in Article 3(1),
point (a), of this Regulation.
2. In the case of prepacked pet food which complies with the conditions referred to in Article 3(1), point (a), the organic
production logo of the European Union shall appear on the packaging.
Article 5
Transitional measures
Organic pet food labelled in accordance with national rules or, in the absence thereof, private standards accepted or
recognised by the Member States in accordance with Article 95(5) of Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 between 1 January
2022and 30 October 2023may be placed on the market until stocks are exhausted.
Article 6
Entry into force and application
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.
However, Article 4(2) shall apply from 1 May 2024.
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This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Strasbourg, 18 October 2023.
For the European Parliament For the Council
The President The President
R. METSOLA J. M. ALBARES BUENO
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