Source: European Parliament
1. The Commission has not yet taken a decision on the safety criteria needed for EU fertilising products containing materials derived from animal by products (ABPs) because the scientific assessment to determine the necessary safety criteria is not yet finalised, including for possible limits on chromium content. The assessment covers multiple types of materials, and many consultations have been carried out to collect the latest scientific evidence available.
2. The way fertilising products are regulated allows manufacturers to choose between national rules or EU rules for marketing their products. The inclusion of new materials derived from ABPs in the Fertilising Products Regulation[1] (FPR) will not change national rules but will create new opportunities for the industry to trade their products more easily across the EU and increase the offer for farmers.
3. The Commission is fully committed to implement the circular economy in the field of fertilising products. However, in accordance with its empowerment, the Commission may only include new materials in the FPR for which there is scientific evidence that they do not present a risk to human, animal or plant health, to safety or to the environment. Therefore, the Commission will take into account the circular economy principles but also the risks associated with the use of these materials in its decision making.
- [1] Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 laying down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products and amending Regulations (EC) No 1069/2009 and (EC) No 1107/2009 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003, OJ L 170, 25.6.2019, p. 1-114, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1009/oj