Under EU organic import rules, every consignment of organic spices from India needs an electronic certificate of inspection (COI) issued in the EU's TRACES system before it can be sold as organic. The COI is the organic certificate EU customs and the competent authority check. A COI in TRACES is not the same as the supplier's own organic certificate, and you need both.
What is a COI organic certificate for the EU?
A COI is a certificate that identifies the consignment, the exporter, the importer and the control body or authority that verified the product. It is created in TRACES, and the importer's customs entry must reference it. The documents you need for organic imports into the EU lists the paperwork around it.
The importer, not the supplier, normally has to be registered as an organic operator in the EU country of entry, and the first consignee has to be known and checked. Ask your national control body what it requires.
Timing deserves attention. The COI must be in place before the goods are released as organic, and it needs accurate lot data, so the paperwork cannot start after the container has sailed. Agree who requests it, who checks it, and the date it must be ready. Many delays on organic cargo are administrative, not physical.
TRACES certificate for organic: who does what
The Indian exporter requests the COI through its recognised certifier, which issues it after checking the lot against the organic records. The importer then completes its section in TRACES when the goods arrive, and the EU authority may check the goods and the paperwork. How a TRACES certificate works for EU organic imports walks through the steps.
A mismatch between the invoice, the COI and the physical lot can block the release of the goods as organic. Quantities, lot numbers and consignee details must agree.
Retain records after clearance. Buyers and authorities can ask for transaction records and lot links for some time after import, so keep the COI, the supplier certificate, the invoice and the lab results together for each lot. Organic status is a chain, and the chain is only as strong as the record that links each step to the next.
How the route has changed
The EU has reorganised its recognition of non-EU organic systems in recent years. Imports now rely on either recognised control bodies working to EU rules, or on recognised third-country schemes, and the lists have changed over time. India's national programme and its relationship to the EU is covered in NPOP certification and its acceptance in the EU and US. Because this area is revised, confirm the current route with your EU control body before you order.
What to check in the supplier
Check that the organic certificate is valid, covers the exact product and the production site, and names an accepted certifier. Ask how organic and conventional lots are kept apart, and see the records. Test organic lots for residues, because unexpected residues can cause the organic status to be questioned. Organic spices cost more than conventional, because of certification, yield and testing, and a quote comes from a sourcing review. Sourcing certified organic from India has more.
Next step
We check certificates against the lot, audit segregation and have lots tested. Book a free sourcing review.