European Hearing on Organic Food and Farming – Towards a European Action Plan, Brussels, 22 January 2004

On 22 January 2004 the European Commission held a 'European Hearing on Organic Food and Farming - Towards a European Action Plan' in Brussels. The main purpose of this hearing was to listen to the views of the widest possible range of stakeholders, to experts in the agricultural, environmental and consumer field and to hear from pilot initiatives. Following this public hearing, the Commission is preparing an Action Plan in the form of a Communication to the European Council and Parliament, including a list of possible actions to boost organic farming. The Brussels hearing provided the Commission with the most complete and appropriate guidance from stakeholders with a view to drawing up this Action Plan.
Over a 100 stakeholder organisations, Agricultural Ministers from Member States, Acceding and Candidate Countries and the press participated in this conference.