Application for approval of an inspection body for organic farming

If you want to operate a private inspection body for organic farming, you need to be licensed.

Before a product may be marketed as organic food, it must be checked whether its production meets the requirements. In Germany, a system of privately approved inspection bodies has been established for this purpose.
You must apply for approval for an inspection body at the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE). The approval is valid for the entire territory of Germany, but can be limited to individual federal states.
The BLE can attach time limits, conditions and requirements or a reservation of revocation to the approval. In addition, it may subsequently amend conditions or add new ones.
The organic inspection bodies are supervised by the inspection authorities responsible for organic farming in the federal states in which the respective inspection body has its registered office.

Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food
Deichmanns Aue 29
53179 Bonn
Phone: +49 228 9968450
Fax: +49 228 68453101
Internet: www.ble.de

Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food
Deichmanns Aue 29
53179 Bonn
Phone: +49 228 9968450
Fax: +49 228 68453101
Internet: www.ble.de

• Evidence proving that you meet the requirements. You can request the application documents and further information from the BLE.

Forms: yes

Online procedure possible: no

Written form required: yes

Personal appearance required: no

• accreditation
• quality management
• qualified inspection body personnel in sufficient numbers. The concrete requirements are regulated in the accreditation regulations.
• standard control programme for each control area applied for
• written procedures for, among other things, the implementation of the
  • Control
  • assessment and certification
  • Documentation of control results
  • Sanctioning
  • Risk analysis
  • Sampling and charging
• financial, professional and personal independence
• sufficient insurance cover for all possible damage matters within the scope of the inspection

The Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food is responsible for the approval of your inspection body.

• Submit the completed application together with the required attachments by mail to the BLE.
  • You will receive the application documents from the BLE upon oral or written request.
• The BLE examines the application on the basis of the legal requirements.

Examination and approval may cover individual or all of the following control areas, depending on the inspection body's application:

• Control area A:
  • Agricultural production
  • Agricultural production - beekeeping
  • Agricultural production - seaweed and aquaculture
• control area B: production of processed food
• Control area C: Trade with third countries (import)
• Control area D: subcontracting to third parties
• Control area E: production of animal feed

Prior to approval, the competent body carries out an on-site inspection at the business premises.

After successful completion of the inspection and payment of the fees, your inspection body can commence operations.

You do not have to meet any deadlines.

Application review: maximum 3 months.
The period begins when the documents are complete.

Costs are incurred. These depend on the processing effort. The maximum fee is currently EUR 9780.00.