Download
Import Guidlines
Guidelines on imports of organic products into the European Union (PDF-Document, 59 KB)
Flyer
- Flyer: "At a Glance: Information about the Bio-Siegel" (PDF-Document, 1.2 MB)
- Flyer: "How to use the Bio-Siegel: Ten questions and answers"
(PDF-Document, 768 KB)
Checklist for importers of organic products
All imported products produced and controlled according to the EU Organic Farming Regulation can be labelled with the Bio-Siegel. These include both ecologically produced products of the European Union and products from non-EU countries (third countries) that are subject to special import regulations.
1. Your importing enterprise is certified under the EU Organic Farming Regulation
The import of organic products and the labelling of products by means of the Bio-Siegel may only be performed by enterprises that are controlled and certified under the EU Regulation on Organic Farming.
Here you will find the 
EU Organic Farming Regulation.
As an importing enterprise, you first have to notify your activity to an approved control agency and conclude a control contract. At the information portal oekolandbau.de, you will find a list of the authorized inspection bodies in Germany: Go to list of inspection bodies.
After the contract has been concluded, your enterprises will be registered with the public authority of your federal state. Here you will find a list of the addresses of the public authorities.
2. The imported product has been produced and certified under the EU Organic Farming Regulation
Organic products from EU countries
Organic products that have been produced, processed or imported according to the EU Organic Farming Regulation may bear both an organic farming indication and the Bio-Siegel and may be traded freely in all EU Member States.
Here you will find a list of inspection bodies in the EU.
Organic products from Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Switzerland or New Zealand
While in the EU the control system of the EU Organic Farming Regulation Organic Farming is applicable, the requirements for organic farming in third countries can differ from those of the regulation. By including Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Switzerland and New Zealand in this regulation (third countries list) the Commission has recognized that the production and control regulations of certain product categories in these countries are equal to the regulations of the EU Organic Farming Regulation. However, this requires that the products have been controlled and certified by a inspection body that, according to the third countries list, is authorized to perform a certification under the EU Organic Farming Regulation in the concerning country.
Organic products from other third countries
Products from other third countries than those mentioned above can only be imported into the EU and marketed by means of the indication of organic farming if there is a single authorization under article 11 (6) of the EU Organic Farming Regulation. During this application procedure, the importer has to prove that the goods have been produced in the third country equal to the requirements of the EU Organic Farming Regulation. That means that, for the whole trade chain in the third country, a certification by a inspections body that is accredited for its certification activity under the EU Organic Farming Regulation and EN 45011 has to be proved. In Germany, the competent authority for granting marketing authorizations is the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung, BLE).
Here you will find more information on the granting of an authorization for marketing products that have been imported from third countries under the EU Organic Farming Regulation.
General enquiries can be addressed by phone or e-mail to: Corina Feustel, tel. +49 (0)228/ 6845 – 2914, E-mail 
corina.feustel@ble.de.
3. The label of the product complies with the graphic requirements under the German Eco-Labelling Ordinance
The Bio-Siegel can be used, under the German Eco-Labelling Ordinance and the design guide on the unified use of the Bio-Siegel, on packagings, advertising and sales promotion materials. In this design guide, you will find information on the design and use (size, position on the packaging etc.) of the Bio-Siegel.
Here you will find information on both the design and use as well as the design guide for downloading: Go to the design guidelines (pdf-File) (PDF-Document, 1.6 MB).
Here you will find the German Eco-Labelling Ordinance (only available in German).
The Bio-Siegel is protected in terms of trade mark law at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. Injunctive relieves and claims for damages under private law arising from this will be pursued by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz, BMELV), which is the owner of the trade mark.
4. You have registered the product with the Bio-Siegel Information Centre
Before launching a product bearing the Bio-Siegel, you have to notify this product to the Bio-Siegel Information Centre. This can be done in several ways:
A Registration via the notification form
Download the notification form (pdf-file, only available in German, ca. 40 kB) (PDF-Document, 69 KB), complete it and send it by fax, mail or e-mail to the following address:
Postal address:
Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung
Referat 512 - Informationsstelle Bio-Siegel
53168 Bonn, Germany
Fax no.: +49 (0)228/ 99 6845 - 2907
E-mail: bio-siegel@ble.de
B Online registration
Use the online database of the Bio-Siegel Information Centre.
Please note: Even in case of an automatic registration in the Bio-Siegel database you have to send a sample label to the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food for your entry being activated.
5. You have sent a sample label to the Bio-Siegel Information Centre
For every registration (by mail, fax or online) the sample labels of the registered products have to be sent to the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food. This can be done by mail, by fax (stuck to a DIN-A4 sheet) or by e-mail as pdf file.
Postal address:
Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung
Referat 512 - Informationsstelle Bio-Siegel
53168 Bonn, Germany
Faxnummer: +49 (0)228/ 99 6845 - 2907
E-mail: bio-siegel@ble.de
6. You have received a confirmation of receipt
After receipt of the complete documents or activation of your entry, you will receive an e-mail containing your data from the Bio-Siegel product and enterprise database.
If you have created an access with a special password, you can update your entries yourself and have thus the option to update your own input or add to the product list additional products. For reasons of data protection only data of those enterprises will be published that agreed to the publication when notifying the labelled products.
Please note:
The unlawful use of the Bio-Siegel will be dealt with as regulatory offence on which an administration fine can be imposed.
The indications made when notifying the product can be made available for control purposes to the federal state authorities responsible for the monitoring of organic farming.