Organic sector invited to submit requests for modifications to the Canadian Organic Standards (COS)

The Review of the COS is underway, and it is exhaustive: all sections of the organic standards have to be revised. The review exercise will take 2 years, and the objective is to publish the fully revised standard in 2015.

After holding their first meeting to address issues already listed on the permanent work list, the members of the

Technical Committee and the Conveners of the Working groups, who are responsible for the review of the standard, are ready to hear the sector’s concerns.

Requests for modifications to the COS should be made in case of one of the following:

1) The meaning of a paragraph is vague and the wording open to several valid but conflicting interpretations. The intent of the paragraph needs to be clarified and the language changed to spell out what is intended.

2) Different paragraphs seem to conflict and lead to different conclusions.

3) The industry has evolved, such that a section that had been included is no longer relevant, or an issue has emerged that was not envisioned earlier but now needs to be regulated.

4) The requirement for compliance is grossly inconsistent with what is required in the USA or EU, creating an unfair competitive environment.

Before submitting your request, please consult the Final Q&As section issued by the Canadian Standards Interpretation Committee (SIC), as these interpretations may provide some clarification.

If you are not satisfied with the SIC interpretations, please complete the attached Revision Proposal Form, which can also be downloaded by clicking here.

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Please make sure to describe the modification that you are proposing in detail, and provide adequate background information. Without this basic information, your request cannot be considered by the Working Groups or the Technical Committee.

Deadlines:

The Canadian General Standards Board can receive requests for modifications at any time.

However, we invite you to forward your request before March 31^st, 2014, to ensure that it is addressed under the current review project.

Visit OFC’s website to read more about the COS Review  or contact us if you have questions!