Principles for a Strategy

1. Principles for a Strategy • Use existing mechanisms (public and private) and improve as necessary • Focus on common procedures at international level • Prefer one reference with flexible implementation

2. Standards/Technical Regulations • Do not create a third international standard • Use the existing international standards; Codex & IFOAM • Examine gaps of Codex and IFOAM, and adapt the standards to facilitate trade • Minimize the details of international standards. • Examine how national & regional standards and international standards can be related and equivalency established

3. Requirements for Certification Bodies • Regardless of standards, certification bodies will have different interpretations; foster cooperation among the certification bodies themselves • Review ISO 65 with respect to the real needs of organic conformity assessment • Develop one set of certification requirements

4. Approval of Certification Bodies • Focus on one set of equivalence criteria, not one international accreditation • One evaluation and set of international requirements, leading to many approvals • Approval to remain at national level • Evaluation at international level • Analyze what role IAF and IOAS can play • Other mechanism to be considered, e.g. peer review among certification bodies

5. Criteria for the Assessment of Solutions • Solutions that facilitate the continued growth of OA and maintenance of its principles, through: • Market access (national and international) and minimal bureaucracy • Fair competition • Consumer protection and trust • Context sensitive ( biophysical & socio-economic) • Stakeholder support • Take account of sovereignty and market choice • Transparency • WTO principles • Benefit to producers and consumers