Agricultural management

The CEN Working Group 177 on "Agricultural activities: Quality and Environment" was established in June 2005 to initiate a European collective view on a general strategy for standardisation of Quality and Environmental Management Systems for agricultural activities. One year before the French standardisation body (AFNOR) had proposed to introduce such a standardised management system scheme based on a French initiative (Agri-confiance), but CEN declined and prefered to establish this Group.

So far its objectives and outcomes remain unclear. Meetings were held to discuss the needs in relation to quality and environmental management systems in agricultural activities. ECOS believes generic standards should be used as much as possible whenever they already exist, rather than introducing sectoral systems which could be of lower quality. ECOS has been sending experts to this Working Group since 2005.