The provisional agreement reached by the Council and European Parliament would extend the use of non-organic protein feed in organic poultry production until the end of 2036. It also removes the current restriction to young birds and revises the rules governing poultry housing.
The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on 20 October to amend Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production. The compromise text, published on 22 October, includes changes to feed derogations, poultry housing requirements and outdoor access, alongside broader measures concerning certification, labelling and international trade.
One of the main changes for organic poultry producers concerns the use of non-organic protein feed. The agreement would extend the existing derogation until 31 December 2036 and remove the restriction limiting its application to young poultry.
Non-organic protein feed: a broader derogation
Under the current regulation, non-organic protein feed may be used for young poultry when farmers cannot obtain sufficient organic protein feed and the competent authority has confirmed its unavailability. The feed must not be available in organic form, must be produced or prepared without chemical solvents and may only be used to supply specific protein compounds.
The maximum authorised proportion is 5% over a 12-month period, calculated on the dry matter of feed of agricultural origin. The derogation is currently due to expire on 31 December 2026.
The agreed amendments retain these conditions but extend the deadline by ten years. The revised wording refers to poultry species without specifying an age restriction, potentially allowing the use of non-organic protein feed beyond the early growth stages.
The availability of suitable organic protein sources has been a longstanding difficulty for poultry producers. Synthetic amino acids are prohibited in organic production, making it more difficult to formulate diets that meet the nutritional requirements of young birds using exclusively organic ingredients.
In a report published on 28 September, the European Commission described the shortage of suitable organic protein feed for poultry and pigs as a structural problem. However, the available data remain incomplete. In 2024, only 13 Member States submitted quantitative information on organic feed materials used as sources of specific proteins for poultry, preventing a comprehensive assessment of supply across the EU.
The compromise text also establishes a mechanism to review the derogations. From 1 January 2031, the Commission would be empowered to adopt delegated acts ending the authorisations before 2036 or extending them beyond that date, depending on the availability of organic protein feed. A further report on market availability and the causes of any continuing shortages would be required by 31 December 2031.
No intermediate reductions in the authorised 5% proportion are specified in the agreement.
Changes to poultry housing and outdoor access
The agreement also revises the maximum usable surface area permitted for organic fattening poultry.
Under the current regulation, the combined usable surface area of poultry houses within a production unit cannot exceed 1,600 m². The revised provision would apply this limit to each individual poultry house rather than to the production unit as a whole.
This would allow operators to manage several poultry houses, each with a maximum usable area of 1,600 m², within the same production unit, subject to the other requirements for organic poultry production.
Another amendment concerns access to outdoor areas. Current rules require continuous daytime outdoor access from as early an age as practically possible, whenever physiological and physical conditions allow. The new wording specifies that birds must be sufficiently feathered to regulate their body temperature when exposed to outdoor climatic conditions.
The provision is intended to address the vulnerability of young, insufficiently feathered birds to outdoor temperatures while retaining the requirement for outdoor access.
The agreement also introduces a minimum slaughter age of 42 days for quail where slow-growing strains are not used.
The provisional agreement must still undergo legal-linguistic revision and formal adoption by the Council and European Parliament. Until the amended regulation enters into force, the existing rules, including the restrictions on non-organic protein feed for young poultry, remain applicable.
Sources
Council of the European Union, Final compromise text, Document 14715/26, 22 October 2026. https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-14715-2026-INIT/en/pdf
European Parliament and Council, Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/848
European Commission, Report COM(2026) 508 on the availability of organic protein feed, 28 September 2026. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52026DC0508
