Although input use in organic agriculture is strictly regulated, and significantly less contentious inputs are applied in organic than in conventional farming systems, the project surveys’ results show that copper, mineral oil, external nutrient input, anthelmintics, antibiotics and vitamins are still prevalently used among organic farmers in the EU. This is partly due to the scarce availability of alternative products and difficulty to implement preventive strategies, which are not always efficient. Moreover, besides the direction set by the EC 889/2008 organic regulation, only a handful of policy instruments exist at national levels to reduce the use of these contentious inputs. However, the number of international and national voluntary initiatives is gradually growing. In light of the ambitious target to reach 25% share of organic farmland within EU’s total agricultural area by 2030, as set by the Farm to Fork strategy, a great challenge to overcome is the major reduction of the mentioned contentious inputs as the EU’s organic sector is currently highly dependent on these materials. Therefore, targeted research and well-planned policy instruments are paramount to pave the way for a successful scale-up of organics in Europe. The figures reported in this study are based on international surveys, in-depth interviews, multiple case study methods and calculations - using EU and national statistical databases - conducted between 2018 - 2019 to gain insight into the use of copper, mineral oils, external nutrient input, anthelmintics, antibiotics, vitamin and their available alternatives in organic farming in RELACS partner countries and beyond. Additionally, a survey was conducted in 2021 to map existing policy instruments and voluntary, public/private initiatives in the EU aiming to reduce the use of the six input categories. The outcome of these surveys is new data on the current consumptions of copper, external nutrient input, anthelmintics, antibiotics and vitamins within the organic sector. This review also highlights potential alternative strategies in the pipeline, the advantages and disadvantages of available preventive measures and the willingness of farmers towards adopting these solutions. Moreover, this review informs EU and national decision-makers about specific policy instruments already in force, as well as about ongoing voluntary initiatives to reduce contentious inputs that may serve as an example for developing further successful reduction measures.