#Trade European Commission and Mexico start negotiations on trade of organic products

The European Commission and the Government of Mexico announced the start of negotiations towards a bilateral agreement on trade in organic products on 11 February. Commissioner Hogan arrived in Mexico, where he met the Mexican Minister of Agriculture José Calzada, after an official visit in Colombia where an agreement on trade in organic products was also concluded.

Phil Hogan said: "I very much welcome the start of negotiations with Mexico with a view to concluding an agreement on trade in organic products. The European organic sector continues to be one of our most dynamic production sectors and Mexico has great potential in developing opportunities for organic farmers and businesses. The next steps in this dialogue will include, in the coming months, reciprocal on-the spot visits to learn more about the operation of the respective organic systems.

A future agreement on trade in organic products will not only be based on the recognition of each other's production rules and controls systems as equivalent, but will also aim at fostering technical dialogue and cooperation between the parties to the benefit of producers and consumers of organic products. The EU market for organic products amounts to some 40% of the world market – second only to the USA (43%). In recent years, the value of the EU market has grown by more than 6% a year with sales of organic products totalling some €22.2billion in 2013.

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