To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from the Soil Association on (a) the 0.1 per cent. threshold for UK organic food and (b) the EU Organic Food Standards adopted on 12 June. (144014)

[holding answer 20 June 2007]: During the consultation period the Soil Association expressed concern over certain aspects of the proposals to revise the EC regulation. These centred around the compulsory use of the EU logo and the provisions regarding the prohibition of GMs. We understand that the Soil Association would prefer no threshold to be specified in the organic regulation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received on his decision to agree a compulsory EU logo for organic food. (144016)

[holding answer 20 June 2007]: The proposals to introduce into the EC regulation an EU logo and a requirement to use it were issues on which we consulted. The conclusion of the Advisory Committee on Organic Standards was that it supported the proposals, as did the majority of stakeholder bodies. However, the Soil Association expressed concern and opposed the measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to consult on his agreement with EU ministers to adopt common standards for organic food across the EU. (144017)

[holding answer 20 June 2007]: We consulted widely on the new regulation between its presentation by the Commission at the end of 2005 and its agreement by the Council of Ministers on 12 June 2007. We plan to repeat this level of engagement during the development of the detailed implementing rules. The European Commission also plan to launch a public consultation on the implementing rules after the summer.