The European Union (EU) voted in favour of expanding the current scope of the Canada-EU Organic Equivalency Arrangement, which will create a level playing field for organic products on both sides of the trade.

This vote means Canadian certified organic processed products made with imported ingredients will now be covered by the arrangement and will no longer require costly double certification.

"The EU market is the second largest organic market in the world, valued at almost $24 billion Euros, and now the Canadian organic sector has full access to it," says Kelly Monaghan of the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA).

She explains that up until now, Canada was at a disadvantage to the EU under the original agreement, which signed five years ago.

"The problem with the way it was written in 2011, was that European products certified to the EU organic standard, no matter where the ingredients of those products originated... could come to Canada and be sold as an organic product," she says. "For the other direction, Canadian products to be sold as organic in the European market, required that all of the ingredients of those Canadian products were grown in Canada."

So for example, if an organic granola bar processed in Canada required an imported ingredient, like banana flavouring, it wouldn't have qualified to go to EU under the original arrangement. Monaghan says this really limited the scope and flow of organic goods being exported to Europe.

In a press release this week, Canada's Trade and Agriculture Ministers also celebrated the announcement, saying it's welcome news for Canada's organic sector.

"This is great news for our hard-working Canadian organic processors and producers who will now benefit from increased opportunities to export their products to Europe," says Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay. "The government of Canada recognizes the organic sector's determination in working with us to find new markets."

Monaghan echoes the praise for the Canadian organic industry's hard work in evening the imbalance between the Canada-EU organic trade relationship.

"I think it opens up another market for Canadian producers, and particularly processors," she says. "From our primary producers out in the Prairies selling truckloads of grain, they'll continue to do that into the European market -- which loves our product -- but for all other Canadian producers of organic products, no matter where those ingredients come from, as long as they're certified to the Canadian organic standards... they can be sold in Europe."

Some administrative steps remain before the amended EU regulation comes into force. Monaghan says they are told the amendments will enter into force in early April.