The three proposals for the EU organic logo, that is being voted online until January 31, raised critical comments within the organic industry in many EU Member States, including the Flanders' organic association BioForum.

The new EU logo will be displayed on all organically certified products of the European Union, and the winner will be compulsory on all organic products of the member Countries in addition to existing national ones (see GreenPlanet's related news).

The organic industry, however, is very unsatisfied with the three proposals as "they have no visible link with the sector. One could ask the question whether the consumer is aware the an organic product is involved" director Leen Laenens of BioForum says in a statement.  

That could be remedied by a communication campaign in all member states, but there is no money allocated for that in the European budgets. "We want to avoid at all cost, that a logo nobody wants becomes compulsory," Laenens says. According to the European Commission it is, however, too late to stop the current procedure.

Bioforum however committed to direct consultation with other organic trade associations to see how a logo that is not supported by the industry can be prevented from being mandatory.

The design of a European logo for organic food products is not an easy matter. The first logo, which was proposed, looked too much like a German organic label. Fearing judicial consequences Brussels decided to have a competition for a new logo. In total 3,422 designers in waiting submitted original proposals after that. An international jury have chosen the three best creations that are being voted.