Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle, TD, recently outlined the process for granting exemptions from the usual licensing conditions for retailers stocking only pre-packed organic produce.
Referring to the general rules the or sale of organic produce, the Minister said: “Any operator engaged in the production, preparation, storage or import (from third countries) of organic products, or who places such products on the market, must be registered and licensed as an organic operator.”
Member States may exempt operators who restrict themselves to the sale of pre-packed organic products, provided that they have not been involved in preparing, importing or storing these products other than in connection with their point of sale, or have not contracted this out to another operator to do so on their behalf.
Retailers who qualify for an exemption should apply immediately to the Organic Unit of the Department using the standard application form, which is available on the Department’s website:
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmingsectors/organicfarming/organicretailers
The Minister reiterated that: “if you are engaged in the sale of organic produce, you must either hold an organic license in your own right or qualify for an exemption”.
Department inspectors will begin visiting all retailers of organic produce shortly and these must be able to produce either a valid license or exemption if asked to do so.
