Please enter a search term.

Please note:You can only obtain complete information if you indicate the place of residence, the place of business or the building project, depending on the procedure.

Applying for approval of an organic production control body


Before a product may be marketed as organic food, it must be checked whether its production meets the requirements. In Germany, a system of privately approved inspection bodies has been established for this purpose.
You must apply for approval for a control body at the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE). The approval is valid for the entire territory of Germany, but can be limited to individual federal states.
The BLE may provide the admission with time limits, conditions and requirements or a reservation of revocation. In addition, it can subsequently change or reintroduce requirements.
The organic inspection bodies are supervised by the control authorities responsible for organic farming in the federal states in which the respective inspection body has its headquarters.

Process flow

The Federal Office for Agriculture and Food is responsible for approving your inspection body.

  • Submit the completed application together with the required attachments by post to the BLE.
    • You will receive the application documents on oral or written request from the BLE.
  • The BLE examines the application on the basis of the legal requirements.

Testing and approval may, depending on the request of the control body, cover some or all of the following control areas:

  • Control Area A:
    • Agricultural production
    • Agricultural production - Beekeeping
    • Agricultural production - Seaweed and aquaculture
  • Control Area B: Production of processed foods
  • Area C: Trade with third countries (imports)
  • Control Area D: Outsourcing to third parties
  • Control Area E: Manufacture of feedingstuffs

Prior to approval, the competent body carries out an on-site inspection of the business premises.

After successful completion of the inspection and payment of the fees, your inspection body can start operations.

Who should I contact?

Federal Office for Agriculture and Food
Deichmanns Aue 29
53179 Bonn, Germany
Phone: +49 228 9968450
Fax: +49 228 68453101
Internet: www.ble.de

Requirements

  • Accreditation
  • Quality
  • a sufficient number of qualified control body personnel. The specific requirements are regulated in the admission regulations.
  • Standard control programme for each control area requested
  • procedures laid down in writing, inter alia, for the implementation of the
    • Control
    • Assessment and certification
    • Documentation of control results
    • Sanctioning
    • Risk analysis
    • Sampling and charging
  • financial, professional and personnel independence
  • sufficient insurance cover for all possible damage matters within the scope of the inspection

Which documents are required?

  • Proof that you meet the requirements. You can apply for the application documents and further information at the BLE.

What are the fees?

There are costs. These depend on the processing effort. The maximum fee is currently EUR 9780.00.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

You do not have to meet any deadlines.

Processing duration

Application review: maximum 3 months.
The period begins when the documents are complete.

Applications / forms

Forms: yes

Online procedure possible: no

Written form required: yes

Personal appearance required: no

Technically approved by

Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

Professionally released on

28.05.2021

Author

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Source: Serviceportal Niedersachsen (Linie6PLus)