The Fertilisers Regulation proposal is out
The European Commission published its proposal to revise EU’s Fertilisers Revision to include organic fertilisers.
The formal proposal which was published on the 17th of March aims to include digestate and compost in EU legislation, where at the moment only mineral fertilisers are recognised. This inclusion will facilitate trade across borders and create a European market for organic fertilisers. Among its key features, this proposal introduces clear safety and quality requirements for a wide range of new organic product categories, including fertilisers, soil improvers and growing media. Flexibility is also an important aspect of the text, giving authorities the option to keep current national standards as long as these products are intended for domestic use.
You can find the Commission’s press release here and the published proposal together with its annex in several languages here.
During the coming months the European Parliament and the Council will consider the proposal and will have the possibility to amend it. Once a compromise is reached and the final text is adopted, a transition time will be given after which the changes made to the current Fertilisers Regulation will be directly applicable across the EU.
EBA is actively working on this file, contacting both Members of the European Parliament and country representatives from the Council to explain the importance of nutrient recycling as well as to provide technical advice on digestate.
