COR - Canada

COR Standards in Canada

COR (Canada Organic Regime) is the organic standard in effect in Canada.

In June 2011, the Canadian government reached an agreement with the European Union regarding the trade of organic products. Under the Canadian Inspection Agency and the Canada Agricultural Products Act, Canada recognizes that agricultural products produced and processed according to the European Organic System are produced and processed under an organic certification system that provides protection and guidelines for production. The processing of such products is equivalent to the requirements of the Canada Organic Products Regulation (2009).

Agricultural products produced and processed in compliance with the European Organic System as specified in Annex 1 are considered equivalent to products produced and processed in accordance with the Canada Organic Products Regulation (2009) and Canada’s Organic Program, and can be sold, labeled, or represented as organic in Canada, including displaying the Canada Organic logo alongside the organic logo specified in Commission Regulation 889/2008 (EC).

Organic products certified according to EU regulations and exported to Canada can carry the Canada Organic logo. It should be noted that organic products imported to Canada must meet Canadian labeling requirements.

The use of the Canada Organic logo is only permitted on products with 95% or more organic content and certified according to the requirements of the Canada Organic Regime. The use of the organic logo is optional but must comply with the Organic Products Regulation when used.

Imported products must meet the requirements of the Canada Organic Regime. Products carrying the logo must:

• Include the word "product" or "imported" immediately before the name of the country of origin or near the logo. This statement must appear on the label in both French and English unless an exemption from bilingual labeling is granted.
• Include the name of the control body that certified the product as organic on the label. Note that this does not replace the requirement for the EU control body/authority code.

For more information about COR, click here.

For more information about equivalency agreements between Canada and other countries, click here.

Joint Statement on the Extension of the EU-Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement

Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, issued the following statement:

"The Government of Canada and the European Commission are pleased to announce the extension of the scope of the EU-Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement (EUCOEA), which takes effect today."

"Following the successful implementation of the EUCOEA for five years, we have agreed to expand the scope of products that can be traded under mutual recognition."

"Organic wine has been included in the scope of the EUCOEA. This will allow organic wine certified according to organic standards in the EU or Canada to be sold and labeled as organic in both markets. Initially, organic wines not included in the scope of the EUCOEA were subject to new rules adopted in 2012 to review the labeling and organic production rules for wine in the EU."

"Until now, the import of organic products from Canada to the EU was limited to products entirely grown or processed in Canada. Moving forward, Canada’s organic processed products certified to Canada’s organic standards and imported to the EU may contain organic ingredients from third countries."

"This decision follows a comprehensive assessment of the equivalence of organic wine production standards and import control systems between the EU and Canada."