Export document
EU organic certificate of inspection
A consignment sold as organic in the European Union has to arrive with an electronic certificate of inspection, issued in the Commission's TRACES platform by a control body the EU recognises. Without that certificate the goods are not released, and they cannot then be sold as organic.
The essentials.
- The regulation
- Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling, which replaced the previous import regime.1
- The document
- An electronic certificate of inspection, issued and travelling in TRACES rather than on paper.2
- Who issues it
- For goods from outside the EU, a control body designated by the European Commission for that country.1
- What happens without it
- The consignment is not released at the port of arrival. There is no route to fix this after the goods land.1
What it does not cover.
An organic certificate is not the same thing
A producer's own organic certificate shows their operation was inspected. The certificate of inspection covers the specific consignment travelling to you. Buyers regularly accept the first and discover at the border that they needed the second.
Recognition is by control body
Not every organic certifier operating in Indonesia is recognised for EU imports. Ask which body certifies the producer and confirm it appears on the Commission's list before you contract.
Questions buyers ask.
Can I buy organic Indonesian coffee without this?
You can buy the coffee. You cannot sell it as organic in the European Union, which is usually the whole reason for paying the premium. The certificate is what converts a producer's certification into something you can label.
Who arranges it?
The exporter, through their control body, before the consignment leaves. As the buyer your part is to confirm the body is EU-recognised and that the certificate will be issued for your specific shipment.
Where this comes up.
Indonesian coffee
Arabica and robusta origins, wet-hulling, how the national standard grades a lot, packing, and the documents a buyer needs including EUDR.
Indonesian cocoa beans
Why fermentation decides the price, what the national grade does not cover, and the documents an Indonesian cocoa shipment needs including EUDR.
Indonesian virgin coconut oil
Three products get sold as coconut oil and only one is virgin. What the APCC standard defines, and how to tell them apart before you pay.
Worth reading.
Sources
- 1Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling. EUR-Lex. Checked 3 August 2026.
- 2TRACES modules and features. European Commission, DG Health and Food Safety. Checked 3 August 2026.
Need this document for a real shipment?
Tell us the product and the destination port. We come back with the full document set for that route, who issues each one, and how long it takes.