On June 29, a preliminary agreement on the EU rules on organic farming was reached. The new rules aim to encourage the sustainable development of organic farming, to increase consumer trust in organic foodstuffs and to guarantee fair competition for farmers and operators. Some key aspects of the new rules are strict, risk-based controls along the supply chain, compliance of the imports with EU standards, application of precautionary measures to avoid contamination with pesticides, better data gathering on the availability of organic seeds and easier certification for smaller farmers. The new rules will have to be endorsed by the Agriculture committee, the full Parliament and the Council before they enter into force. The new regulation will apply from 1 July 2020. More info: http://bit.ly/2tCW1zQ