New EU fertiliser regulation to apply by 2022

The EU has recently approved the draft of a new regulation, which lays down the rules on EU fertilising products. Currently being finalized by the European parliament, Regulation (EC) No. 2016/0084 will come into force by 2022 and include all types of fertilisers, including mineral, organic, biostimulants, growing matters and industry by-products.

“Existing legislation does not cover all of the fertilisers on the EU market,” says Iain Watt, TSG's Head of Plant Protection. “In addition, there is no harmonized legislation to guide the placing of products such as biostimulants on the European market. This new regulation will help make it more efficient for companies to register their products across Europe, as well as create more opportunities for companies to develop innovative fertilisers.”

Biostimulants

The new regulation gives a clear definition of biostimulant products, which were previously at the border between fertiliser and plant protection products. Biostimulants will be excluded from the scope of EU regulation 1107/2009, which regulates plant protection products.

Compliance with contaminants

Additionally, biostimulants will have to comply with contaminants specifications as follows:

(a) Cadmium (Cd): 1,5 mg/kg dry matter

(b) Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI): 2 mg/kg dry matter

(c) Lead (Pb): 120 mg/kg dry matter

(d) Mercury (Hg): 1 mg/kg dry matter

(e) Nickel (Ni): 50 mg/kg dry matter, and

(f) Inorganic arsenic (As): 40 mg/kg dry matter

The copper (Cu) and the zinc (Zn) content in a plant biostimulant must not exceed 600 mg/kg dry matter and 1500 mg/kg dry matter, respectively.

Plant biostimulants shall also have the effects claimed on the label for the target plants. Authorities can check on efficacy and label compliance at any time.