Certification FAQs

My certificate says I am compliant with EEC834/2007. What do I need to do to ship my product to the European Union?

You must work with an EEC 834/2007 certified importer in the European Union. In order to import organic product from the United States, your importer must obtain a special license from the government of the member state they are located in. This license is referred to by an “import authorization number”.

If your importer has already been approved to import the type of product (e.g. raisins) you are selling, they can sometimes add you as a supplier to their existing import authorization. Most of the time, however, they will need to apply for a new license in order to import your product. CCOF can work with you, your importer, and the organic authorities in the member state to secure a valid import authorization number on your behalf. Please be aware that this application requires detailed information about all your suppliers and their certifiers. It can take time to coordinate all the required information, especially if you plan to export multi-ingredient products with globally sourced ingredients. It also takes time for the competent government authority in the member state to process the completed application and issue the import authorization number.

Once your importer gets their license, be sure to request an export certificate from CCOF to accompany every consignment. Please note that CCOF cannot issue an export certificate without a valid import authorization number. There are absolutely NO exceptions to this requirement.

NOTE: The EU revised their import regime under EC 1235/2008. CCOF has applied to be included on a list of certifiers published by the European Commission that will allow our clients to export to the European Union directly, without individual import licenses (authorization numbers). CCOF expects this list to be published in late 2010 or 2011.

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