The new regulation aims to harmonise requirements for the placing on the market of mineral and organic fertilizers, controlled release fertilizers and biostimulants. It also sets limits for heavy metals, contaminants and pathogens.
All fertilizer products coming under the rules will be marked by the CE mark and will be able to circulate freely in the internal market.
The European Farmers’ Organisation Copa welcomed the adoption of the new rules, saying that high EU fertilizer prices have created an imbalance at the cost of European farmers, and that this regulation will help farmers to find alternatives to reduce their input costs.
The new rules are expected to enter into force by July 2019, 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, and will be implemented three years after that date.