Revised EU rules on organic farming tabled by the European commission on 21 December should support the sector’s growth and maintain consumer confidence while simplifying legislation in the area, the EU executive said.

Europe’s existing organic farming rules date back to 1991. This summer the Commission proposed a wide-ranging action plan designed to help the sector develop further.

One regulation proposed on 21 December updates rules on organic production, labelling and controls. The second revises rules on importing organic produce.

The organic sector is still tiny in the context of Europe’s overall farm economy: organic farms made up 1.4% of all holdings in 2003 and covered 3.6% of farmland. Even this reflects "impressive growth" since 1991, the commission says.

Under the new regulation producers will continue to be able to use an EU logo designating produce as organic. Where they choose to use other organic logos they will also have to display a standard "text fragment", reading "EU-ORGANIC". The measure is designed to reduce confusion.

As of now, at least 95% of final products will have to be organic to be labelled as such. Genetically modified (GM) ingredients or products will continue to be excluded, though accidental contamination up to 0.9% will not count.

In a related development Germany’s new agriculture minister Horst Seehofer has reportedly decided to abandon a 20% organic farming target set by his predecessor Renate Knast. According to German press reports this week, the shift could lead to drastic cuts in subsidies to organic farms from 2009.

Mr Seehofer also said he would amend Ms Knast’s previous draft law on genetically-modified (GM) crops to make it easier for farmers to grow them. The law failed in parliament last May, partly because MPs found it too restrictive.