DUTCH CONTROL SYSTEM: SKAL BIOCONTROLE
TOS INTERVIEW
In the Action Plan for Organic Agriculture, the Dutch government has formulated the ambition that by 2030, 15% of the agricultural area will be organically farmed; a tripling compared to now. A prerequisite for this growth is a good control system.
The Dutch control system is quite unique, a reason for TOS to interview the general director of the Dutch control authority Skal Biocontrole: Nicolette Klijnhout-Klijn.
TOS: Could you briefly describe the structure of Skal and the Dutch control system?
SKAL: In the Netherlands, the competent authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature delegates the task of official controls and certification of organic companies to one single organic control authority – Skal Biocontrole. We are an independent public body. Dutch legislation provides for the establishment of independent and public bodies to implement specific tasks in the public interest. Such bodies come under the external control of the Ministry concerned but are competent for making independent decisions. We monitor and control the entire organic chain beginning from production, through processing, distribution (including import and export) until retail. We conduct inspections and certify the organic operators in the Netherlands and issue the European organic production logo to those certified operators. Nearly 150 people work at Skal, including inspectors, enforcers, and policy officers. We are a rapidly growing organization.
TOS: What is the current role of Skal Biocontrole in import control?
SKAL: We took over the control tasks regarding the organic status of import consignments from the Dutch customs last year. The addition of supervision and control of import consignments represents an entirely new responsibility for our organization. This requires the training of new employees and the professional organization of this task.
As of 1 April 2026, the costs of import controls carried out by Skal Biocontrole on consignments entering the Netherlands from outside the European Union are passed on to importers. Previously, these costs were covered by the Ministry.
Within the EU, the Netherlands is the largest importer of organic products. More than 30% of the European import of organic products comes through the Netherlands. Skal ensures that these products meet European organic standards and thus plays an important role in the import and control of organic products within Europe. Adequately organizing the import controls in collaboration with Customs and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is an important goal for us.
TOS: How does Skal use sampling for the control of the organic status of imported products?
SKAL: The Organic Regulation obliges Skal to conduct laboratory tests for organic products or products in conversion upon import with an increased risk of non-compliance. We maintain an annual public list of high-risk products for sampling and laboratory testing upon import. The total number of samples on imported products in 2026 will be approximately 1,750 (±5 % consignments). The list is based on EU-list of high-risk product/country, and a national list published on Skal’s website.
TOS: What are important developments for Skal in its supervision of the Dutch organic market?
SKAL: An emerging market in the Netherlands is ornamental horticulture. Both growers and florists are interested in certification. Certifying (online) florists is new to us. We are trying to develop a workable certification system, in consultation with the sector.
Another development that The Netherlands is advocating for the removal of the certification requirement for webshops that only sell pre-packaged organic products. This is a troublesome barrier for many webshops, as is evident from the questions we regularly receive about this subject. Skal and the Ministry are therefore working together at the European level to achieve changes that will reduce the administrative burden for smaller entrepreneurs – including webshop owners.
TOS: What is the origin history of Skal Biocontrole?
SKAL: The organic movement has a long history in the Netherlands. In 1985, the Dutch private label for organic products was launched: the EKO label. From then on, retail chains and organic supermarkets could include guaranteed organic products in their assortment. To ensure independent control of organic products for consumers and retail, the Foundation for Alternative Agricultural Products, abbreviated to SKAL, was established in 1987. European organic regulation came into effect in 1991. This regulation required the European legislation to be translated into Dutch law. In 1992, the Dutch government designated Skal to implement the European regulations and monitor compliance. That was also the moment when the foundation changed its name to Skal Biocontrole.
TOS: Did Control Union originate from Skal? What is the current relation between Skal and Control Union?
SKAL: Control Union Certification is active as a control body in multiple countries and has Dutch origins. The Dutch control authority Skal focuses entirely on the Dutch market and conducts its own inspections, but in the past century, there was an international branch called ‘Skal International’ acting as a control body in third countries. Control Union took over this branch in 2002. Control Union Certification also used to carry out organic inspections in the Netherlands as a private company, hired by Skal. With the choice for an independent administrative body Skal that only performs public tasks, this subcontract was already abolished years ago. But we do have a mutual history and are colleagues in the international field of organic controls. Skal Biocontrole is a member of the EOCC (European Organic Certifiers Council), the ACA (Accredited Certifiers Association), and IFOAM‑OE. Together with the Ministry, Skal Biocontrole participates in GREX meetings with other EU Member States. This provides Skal Biocontrole with a unique opportunity to cooperate not only with fellow control bodies, but also with other EU Member States, in order to safeguard organic integrity.
TOS: What are Skal’s future plans?
SKAL: We are focused on the further development of our ‘supervision arrangements’. Each year, Skal determines the supervision arrangement for all Dutch organic companies. The supervision arrangement dictates how often a company is inspected. The classification is based on the risk profile of companies which we calculate using a Risk Model. The greater the risk of non-compliance, the higher the classification. The 10% of companies with the highest scores fall under the High Supervision Arrangement and are inspected at least twice a year. Companies in the High Supervision Arrangement also pay a higher annual contribution. The Risk Model is evaluated yearly. For 2026 the risk score is reduced for companies that only handle pre-packaged organic (consumer) products, because the risk of mixing up or contaminating organic products is low.
We are also strengthening and expanding our support for certification through sharing our information and knowledge with the organic sector. Finally, we are modernizing our instruments and are digitizing our services. A good example is the online application for organic field registration that has been launched this year.