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International Programs

European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK), and Switzerland

Select your operation type:

You need to enroll in the Global Market Access (GMA) program for the EU, UK or Switzerland if you:

  • Plan to export CCOF certified organic products to the EU, UK or Switzerland from the United States.
  • Produce wine in the United States that may be exported to the EU, UK or Switzerland.
  • Design labels for products that will be sold in the EU, UK or Switzerland.
  • Sell CCOF certified organic products to any buyer who requires international verification certification.
  • Operations located in the United States and certified to the National Organic Program (NOP) can ship to any EU member state through the US/EU Equivalence Arrangement and the UK through the US/UK Equivalence Arrangement. These arrangements recognize the NOP standards and the EU standards as equivalent, with minor critical variances. The UK has adopted the EU standards until further notice.

    Operations located in the United States and certified to the National Organic Program (NOP) can ship to Switzerland through the US/Swiss Equivalence Arrangement. This arrangement recognizes the NOP standards and the Swiss EAER Ordinances on Organic Farming as equivalent, with minor critical variances.

  • ALERT: Shipments will be REJECTED if they leave port without an authorized COI.
    The Certificate of Inspection (COI) must be authorized by CCOF before the shipment leaves the US or Canada, per EU regulation 2021/2306. Consignments that depart before obtaining an authorized COI are denied entry or have the organic status removed by the EU or Swiss border control authorities.

    The exporter must create the draft COI request in TRACES and send it to CCOF for authorization at least 2 business days prior to departure to allow for review and processing. CCOF will review the draft request and issue the authorized signed COI. You will receive the authorized COI by email from CCOF.
    Ensure that you have an authorized COI prior to releasing the cargo for shipment. If your shipment has left port without authorization, CCOF is unable to sign the COI.

    Note that the CCOF office is closed evenings, weekends, and holidays. Requests must be submitted at least 2 business days prior to closures. Even if the COI request is submitted to CCOF prior to shipment, CCOF is unable to sign COIs where the shipment has left.

    COI requests may be submitted before complete shipping information is available. The following fields may be modified after CCOF signs the COI: Border control post/Point of release for free circulation, Number of Packages, Net weight, Total gross weight, Container number, Seal number, Means of Transport, and additional supporting documents. Email export@ccof.org to request modifications of these fields after the COI has been issued.

    Please see the TRACES COI Request Instructions for additional information.

    In order to ensure product traceability and that the shipment has not left the country of port prior to authorization, CCOF requires the following information for all COI requests:

    1. Upload at least one of the following Supporting Documents to the COI to confirm product traceability and identify the product as organic:
      a. Commercial Invoice, or
      b. Packing List
    2. Provide the estimated shipping date and confirmation that the shipment has not left the country of port by doing one of the following:
      a. Upload Booking Confirmation to the COI, or
      b. Upload Draft Air/Sea Waybill to the COI, or
      c. If these documents are not available, email export@ccof.org with the Draft COI number and the estimated shipment date.

    COI Requests that do not contain this information will not be approved. If your shipment has left port without authorization, CCOF is unable to sign the COI. 

  • NOP certified products must be either produced within, or have final processing or packaging occur in the US.

    Wine may not contain any non-organic grapes and must be produced using only the winemaking practices and substances detailed in the EU Organic regulations (EU) 2018/848.

    Only products covered under the scope of the EU, UK, and Swiss regulations are eligible. The following products are excluded:

    • Cosmetics
  • Wineries must complete theGMA Wine Approval Application. 

    Wine may not contain any non-organic grapes and must be produced using only the winemaking practices and substances detailed in the EU Organic regulations (EU) 2018/848.

    You must confirm on the V2.1 Wine Label and Approval form that each product for export meets the EU winemaking requirements. 

  • National Organic Program – International Trade: EU, UKSwitzerland  (includes requirements for products imported into the US under these arrangements)

    European Commission Organic Farming Information

    UK Guidance on Importing and Exporting Organic Food

    Swiss EAER Ordinances on Organic Farming

Operations located in the United States and certified to the National Organic Program (NOP) can ship to any EU member state through the US/EU Equivalence Arrangement and the UK through the US/UK Equivalence Arrangement. These arrangements recognize the NOP standards and the EU standards as equivalent, with minor critical variances. The UK has adopted the EU standards until further notice.

Operations located in the United States and certified to the National Organic Program (NOP) can ship to Switzerland through the US/Swiss Equivalence Arrangement. This arrangement recognizes the NOP standards and the Swiss EAER Ordinances on Organic Farming as equivalent, with minor critical variances.

You need to enroll in the Global Market Access (GMA) program for the EU, UK or Switzerland if you:

  • Plan to export CCOF certified organic products to the EU, UK or Switzerland from Canada.
  • Produce wine in Canada that may be exported to the EU, UK or Switzerland.
  • Design labels for products that will be sold in the EU, UK or Switzerland.
  • Sell CCOF certified organic products to any buyer who requires international verification certification.   
  • Operations located in Canada and certified to the Canada Organic Regime (COR) can ship to any EU member state a ship to any EU member state through the Canada/EU Equivalence Arrangement and to the UK through the Canada/UK Equivalence Arrangement. These arrangements recognize the COR standards and the EU organic standards as equivalent, with minor critical variances. The UK has adopted the EU standards until further notice.

    Operations located in Canada and certified to the National Organic Program (NOP) can ship to Switzerland through the Canada/Swiss Equivalence Arrangement. This arrangement recognizes the COR standards and the Swiss EAER Ordinances on Organic Farming as equivalent, with minor critical variances.

  • ALERT: Shipments will be REJECTED if they leave port without an authorized COI.
    The Certificate of Inspection (COI) must be authorized by CCOF before the shipment leaves the US or Canada, per EU regulation 2021/2306. Consignments that depart before obtaining an authorized COI are denied entry or have the organic status removed by the EU or Swiss border control authorities.

    The exporter must create the draft COI request in TRACES and send it to CCOF for authorization at least 2 business days prior to departure to allow for review and processing. CCOF will review the draft request and issue the authorized signed COI. You will receive the authorized COI by email from CCOF.
    Ensure that you have an authorized COI prior to releasing the cargo for shipment. If your shipment has left port without authorization, CCOF is unable to sign the COI.

    Note that the CCOF office is closed evenings, weekends, and holidays. Requests must be submitted at least 2 business days prior to closures. Even if the COI request is submitted to CCOF prior to shipment, CCOF is unable to sign COIs where the shipment has left.

    COI requests may be submitted before complete shipping information is available. The following fields may be modified after CCOF signs the COI: Border control post/Point of release for free circulation, Number of Packages, Net weight, Total gross weight, Container number, Seal number, Means of Transport, and additional supporting documents. Email export@ccof.org to request modifications of these fields after the COI has been issued.

    Please see the TRACES COI Request Instructions for additional information.

    In order to ensure product traceability and that the shipment has not left the country of port prior to authorization, CCOF requires the following information for all COI requests:

    1. Upload at least one of the following Supporting Documents to the COI to confirm product traceability and identify the product as organic:
      a. Commercial Invoice, or
      b. Packing List
    2. Provide the estimated shipping date and confirmation that the shipment has not left the country of port by doing one of the following:
      a. Upload Booking Confirmation to the COI, or
      b. Upload Draft Air/Sea Waybill to the COI, or
      c. If these documents are not available, email export@ccof.org with the Draft COI number and the estimated shipment date.

    COI Requests that do not contain this information will not be approved. If your shipment has left port without authorization, CCOF is unable to sign the COI. 

  • COR certified products must be either produced within Canada, or have final processing occur within Canada. Simply repacking or relabeling imported product without further processing is not eligible.

    Unprocessed plant products, live animals or unprocessed animal products and vegetative propagating material and seeds for cultivation have to be grown in Canada.

    “Processing” means any action that substantially alters the initial product, including heating, smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion or a combination of those processes. Packaging is not considered processing for EU, UK, or Swiss compliance.

  • Canadian Organic Regime – EUUKSwitzerland (includes requirements for products imported into Canada under these arrangements)

    European Commission Organic Farming Information 

    UK Guidance on Importing and Exporting Organic Food 

    Swiss EAER Ordinances on Organic Farming 

Operations located in Canada and certified to the Canada Organic Regime (COR) can ship to any EU member state a ship to any EU member state through the Canada/EU Equivalence Arrangement and to the UK through the Canada/UK Equivalence Arrangement. These arrangements recognize the COR standards and the EU organic standards as equivalent, with minor critical variances. The UK has adopted the EU standards until further notice.

Operations located in Canada and certified to the National Organic Program (NOP) can ship to Switzerland through the Canada/Swiss Equivalence Arrangement. This arrangement recognizes the COR standards and the Swiss EAER Ordinances on Organic Farming as equivalent, with minor critical variances.

Labeling Requirements

All products shipped to the EU, UK and Switzerland must meet the domestic market labeling requirements. CCOF has developed a helpful International Market Labeling Guide to explain labeling requirements for organic products sold in the EU, UK and Switzerland. Use of the EU logo is optional for imported products. If the EU logo is used, additional requirements apply. Send all labels to CCOF for approval prior to printing. To learn more, visit the EU Commissions’ Organic logo page. Operations utilizing the EU logo are strongly encouraged to review the EU Organic Regulations and Logo use documents and can download the EU logo by visiting CCOF's labeling and logos page.

Export Documents: EU, Switzerland, or Northern Ireland

Exports to the EU, Switzerland, or Northern Ireland (part of the UK) must be accompanied by an electronic Certificate of Inspection (COI) in TRACES before the shipment leaves the US or Canada. Consignments that depart the US or Canada before obtaining a completed COI are denied entry or have the organic status removed by the EU, UK, or Swiss border control authorities. Your operation is responsible for submitting the COI to CCOF with enough time to be processed prior to shipment, typically 2 business days. See the instruction document linked below for details on timing, the TRACES system, and required documentation.

Export Documents: Great Britain

Exported product sent to Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales) must be accompanied by a manually processed Great Britain Certificate of Inspection (GB COI) before the shipment leaves the US or Canada. The completed GB COI needs to be emailed to the importer and UK Port Health Authority (PHA) or Local Authority (LA). Paper originals are not required.

Global Market Access Program Manual

This manual describes the requirements for operations enrolled in the Global Market Access program.
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Complete the GMA Application to enroll