The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is proud to announce the finalists, by category, of the first ever EU Organic Awards, co-organised with the European Commission and other partners to reward excellence in the European organic value chain. The winners of each category will be announced on 23 September, EU Organic Day, at a special ceremony with the EU commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski.

Inspiring initiatives on the ground show that the organic transition is already taking hold across Europe. The first step of the evaluation process has now been completed, and after a thorough assessment of all applications, the finalists in the following three categories are:

• For best organic SME processing food products:

Gino Girolomoni Cooperativa Agricola – Isola del Piano, Province of Pesaro and Urbino, Italy
Goodvenience.bio GmbH – Magdala, Thuringia, Germany
Labonca Biohof GmbH – Burgau, Styria, Austria

• For best organic food retailer:

Ecoveritas SA – Barcelona, Spain
La ferme à l’arbre de Liège – Lantin, Liège, Belgium
BIO MERCATO, seiVital GmbH – Kempten, Bavaria, Germany

• For best organic restaurant:

Trattino – Lyon, France
Lilla Bjers HB – Visby, Gotland Island, Sweden
Luftburg – Kolarik im Prater – Vienna, Austria

Further information about the candidates, the selection criteria and the awards in general can be found on the EU Organic Awards website and on the EESC website.