Long-standing EBIC issues to be addressed through chemicals omnibus
July 2025
On 8 July 2025, the European Commission adopted its ‘Chemicals Omnibus’ proposal, which aims to simplify certain requirements and procedures for chemical products, including fertilising products under the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) [Regulation (EU) 2019/1009]. This legislative proposal comes after years of advocacy and technical input from EBIC to the European Commission, providing a major breakthrough for two long-standing issues for the industry, strengthening market access and encouraging innovation across the plant biostimulants sector.
The Chemicals Omnibus proposal introduces targeted amendments to the FPR, as well as to other regulations (CLP and Cosmetics), with the overarching goal of supporting a more innovation-friendly regulatory framework while maintaining high safety and environmental standards.
For several years, EBIC has advocated for two key changes in the FPR that are now included in this proposal:
A criteria-based approach to new micro-organisms:
The proposal introduces the possibility for the European Commission to establish criteria for new micro-organisms (MOs) under Component Material Category (CMC) 7 to be used in microbial plant biostimulants. Based on such criteria and a methodology to be agreed, manufacturers and notified bodies could assess new micro-organisms that are not currently listed in CMC 7, offering the possibility to introduce novel microbial biostimulants to the EU market on a regular basis, while meeting safety and agronomic efficiency expectations.
Removal of extended REACH registration requirements (‘REACH+’):
The Commission proposes to apply standard REACH registration requirements for chemical safety to substances used in EU fertilising products, instead of the extended ‘REACH+’ obligations that were originally included in the FPR. This change is expected to eliminate unnecessary requirements that did not bring additional safety while significantly reducing administrative and cost burdens for companies
“These simplifications represent a huge step forward in making the European market more accessible for innovative, biobased solutions like plant biostimulants,” said EBIC President, Carlos Rodriguez-Villa Forster. “EBIC was the first voice to call for the FPR to respect normal REACH requirements back in 2016, and we have advocated consistently for a criteria-based pathway for new micro-organisms since the FPR was being negotiated. We are pleased to see the Commission recognising the importance of facilitating innovation to support sustainable farming.”
The proposal will now enter the Ordinary Legislative Procedure (Co-Decision), which includes the involvement of the European Parliament and the Council. During this phase, EBIC will continue to engage proactively with EU institutions, national associations and key stakeholders to ensure that the proposed improvements are maintained and adopted in their strongest form.