Law on Agricultural Organic Production.

This Law prescribes the goals and principles of organic production as regards the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This Law further determines general production rules for organic farming production, labelling of organic products, control system in organic production, register of entities in organic production, administrative and inspection supervision, import, export and placing on the market of organic products, violations and other issues of importance for organic production. Organic production is here defined as a way of producing agricultural and other products by using production rules for organic production at all stages of production, processing and distribution in accordance with the provisions of this Law and regulations adopted on its basis thereof.
The text is structured in nine main Parts as follows: Part one-Basic provisions; Part two-Goals and principles of the organic production; Part three-Production rules in organic production; Part four-Marking; Part Five-Controls; Part six-Import and export; Part seven-Supervision; Part eight-Misdemeanor provisions; and Part nine-Transitional and final provisions.
The provisions of this Law shall apply to all products of agricultural origin and to all stages of organic crop and livestock production, including aquaculture, when these products are placed or are intended to be placed on the market of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Categories of products to which this Law applies are as follows: a) raw or unprocessed agricultural products; b) processed agricultural products intended to be used as food; c) aquaculture products; d) animal feed; e) vegetative reproductive material and seeds for cultivation; f) yeasts used as food or feed. The provisions of this Law shall apply to all entities registered to perform any of activities related to organic products, including those participating in activities at any stage of production, preparation and distribution on the territory of the Federation of BiH. This Law establishes that products obtained by hunting wild animals and fishing in free waters are not considered as organic products.
General goals of organic production are: a) to establish a comprehensive and sustainable management system in agriculture which: 1) respects natural systems and cycles, and maintains and improves the health of soil, water, plants and animals and maintains their mutual balance; 2) contributes to a high level of biological diversity; 3) uses energy and natural resources responsibly, such as water, soil, organic matter and air; 4) respects high standards of animal welfare and meets the ethological needs of the animal depending on the species to which it belongs. b) to strive the production of high quality products; c) to strive the production of a wide range of food and other agricultural products that are compliant with consumer demand for manufactured products by applying non-harmful production rules to environment, human, plant health or health and well-being of animals in general (eco-friendly processes). Organic production is based on the following general principles: a) the principle of proper planning and management of natural and biological processes based on ecological systems, with the exploitation of natural resources within these systems, also by applying specific production rules such as the use of agro-technical, mechanical, physical, biological and biotechnical measures, principle of sustainable use of natural resources, ban on the use of GMOs and products produced from or using GMOs except for veterinary medicinal products; b) the principle of limiting the input and use of raw materials obtained outside the organic production unit, that is, the agricultural holding, and exceptionally when external inputs of raw materials are required or when there is no other possible proper different procedure and/or method; c) the principle of strict restriction of use of chemical synthesized raw materials, except in extraordinary cases when appropriate organic management systems are not giving satisfactory results and when such raw materials are not available on the market.