Organic and safe fertilizers in the EU

The European Parliament voted today on the rules that will open up the Single Market for the free circulation of fertilizers as part of the Circular Economy Package. The new law on the CE-marked fertilizing products promotes the use of innovative fertilizers from recycled and organic materials. The proposal also sets limits on heavy metals and contaminants in fertilizers.

“The farmers and producers will gain from the new law as the administrative burden will be scaled back“ said Mihai Ţurcanu MEP who is the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for the legislation.

“We want to have safer products and we want to restrict the amount of heavy metals in the fertilizers. Therefore, we want the limits that will ensure that we do not endanger the citizens’ health.

Trying to find a common ground between consumer protection and the European industry will still be a challenge for the next step towards inter-institutional negotiations’, said Mihai Ţurcanu MEP, who is the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for the legislation.

Rapporteur underlined that industry has to be given time to adapt to the new standards.

The original proposal of the Commission was to set a limit of Cadmium, a heavy metal found mostly in mineral phosphate fertilisers, of 60 mg/kg with a transition period  3 years to 40 mg/kg and 20mg/kg after 12 years.

The new law will be now negotiated with the EU Council of Ministers to reach an agreement.