EBIC supports Joint Task Force call to address structural barriers for components used in EU Fertilising Products
March 2026
The European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC) is pleased to be part of the Joint Task Force (JTF) on New Materials in the FPR, an initiative representing the fertilising products value chain. The JTF brings together EBIC, the European Consortium of the Organic-Based Fertiliser Industry (ECOFI), the European Compost Network (ECN), the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP), EUROFEMA, Growing Media Europe, Fertilizers Europe, the European Potash Producers Association (APEP), and the European Biogas Association (EBA).
The first paper from the JTF highlights structural barriers in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) [Regulation (EU) 2019/1009]. Within the FPR, plant biostimulants are classified under Product Function Category (PFC) 6, and they can also be part of PFC 7 (fertilising product blends). PFCs are one of the basic elements of the FPR architecture. Product requirements are defined at the PFC level, while component requirements are defined at the level of the Component Material Categories (CMCs).
The JTF paper highlights a structural barrier for CMCs in fertilising products. Circular and bio-based fertilising materials, many of which are already allowed under national rules for fertilising products, currently lack access to the EU Single Market under the FPR. This is not due to safety concerns, but because the regulatory system does not provide a workable pathway for their inclusion.
As a result:
- Farmers have fewer sustainable tools to manage plant nutrition and soil fertility
- Opportunities to revalorise by-products and reduce nutrient losses are missed
- Small and medium-sized enterprises face disproportionate regulatory barriers
At a time when the European Union is focused on strengthening competitiveness, resilience, and strategic autonomy, the FPR should enable innovation and circularity rather than structurally exclude them.
The ongoing evaluation of the FPR should therefore address these systemic shortcomings by establishing a clear and predictable criteria-based pathway that ensures new safe materials and processes can be included in the CMCs in the FPR in a timely and transparent manner.