Organic Food Standards (Hansard, 1 November 2000)

§ Mr. Morley

As part of the Modernising Government programme, my Department is now beginning a formal review of the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS), which is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry. UKROFS exercises regulatory and supervisory responsibilities in relation to organic farming across the United Kingdom.

The first stage of the review is expected to cover the following issues:

(a) The effectiveness of the present arrangements for discharging the national "competent authority" functions prescribed by Council Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 for regulating organic 474W farming taking full account of Government objectives for modernising public services, particularly the need for continuous improvement and better value for money; Government policy on the regulation of farming, in particular the Strategy for Agriculture, and any parallel policy statements prepared by the devolved administrations; the likely growth in the size and number of businesses in the organic farming sector; the fact that responsibility for agriculture is now devolved to the administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; and the absence of a clear legal base for UKROFS.
(b) The continuing need for the discretionary functions currently exercised by UKROFS, including setting standards for organic produce, either where there are no EU standards or by supplementing EU standards; directly certifying producers who do not wish to register with the private sector certification bodies; and advising Ministers on organic sector issues, including commissioning R&D.

Because UKROFS is a UK body, the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly will be closely involved in the review. We expect to take decisions on the outcome of the first stage of the review before Easter 2001.

Full details of the review, including advice on how to contribute, are being placed in the Library and on my Department's website.