32019R1009

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

• Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 opens the European Union (EU) single market for fertilising products that previously had not been covered by harmonisation rules, such as organic¹ and organo-mineral fertilisers², soil improvers³, inhibitors⁴, plant biostimulants⁵ and growing mediums⁶.
• The regulation lays down common rules on safety, quality and labelling requirements for fertilising products.
• It introduces limits for contaminants for the first time. This guarantees a high level of soil protection and reduces health and environmental risks, while allowing producers to adapt their manufacturing process to comply with the new limits.
• It maintains optional harmonisation, as it does not prevent non-harmonised fertilising products from being made available on the internal market in accordance with national law and the general free-movement rules.
• As from 16 July 2022, Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 replaced and repealed Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003, which concerned, in particular, inorganic fertilisers.

KEY POINTS

Scope

The regulation covers seven categories of fertilising products, namely:

• fertilisers, including:
  • inorganic fertilisers,
  • organo-mineral fertilisers, and
  • organic fertilisers;
• soil improvers;
• liming materials;
• growing mediums;
• inhibitors;
• plant biostimulants; and
• fertilising product blends.

It does not apply to:

• animal by-products or derived products that are subject to the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 when made available on the market;
• plant protection products covered by the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 (see summary).

The rules apply to the design, manufacture and placing on the market of EU fertilising products. The regulation does not apply to the use or the method of application of EU fertilising products.

Requirements

• The regulation sets out rules for EU fertilising products carrying the CE marking, including requirements for:
  • maximum levels of contaminants and pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms);
  • the minimum content of nutrients and other relevant characteristics depending on the category of the product;
  • labelling.
• Testing of the conformity of EU fertilising products must be performed in a reliable and reproducible manner.

Free movement

• EU Member States cannot restrict the free movement of EU fertilising products for reasons relating to composition, labelling or other aspects covered by this regulation if those products comply with this regulation’s rules.
• Member States can maintain or adopt rules relating to human health and the environment (which comply with the EU treaties) that concern the use of EU fertilising products, as long as they do not require products that comply with EU rules to be modified or influence the conditions for making them available on the market.

Amending and delegated acts

Regulation (EU) 2024/2516 amends Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, introducing the option of digital labelling of EU fertilising products. Digital labelling will remain voluntary and, for products made available to end-users in packaging, only supplementary to the physical label. The new rules will start applying from 1 May 2027.

The European Commission has adopted several delegated acts to amend or supplement Regulation (EU) 2019/1009. They update the regulation’s annexes, either to adapt them to technical progress or to add component materials. The last consolidated version of the regulation includes the amendments incorporated into the original text.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 16 July 2022.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

• Chemicals legislation (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

1. Organic fertilisers. Material of animal or plant origin used to feed plants; they may be made out of manure, guano, compost or residues from biogas production.
2. Organo-mineral fertilisers. Material of animal, plant and mineral origin used to feed plants.
3. Soil improvers. Material improving the soil’s quality and properties.
4. Inhibitors. Material added to a fertiliser to slow down the release of nitrogen and thus avoid nitrogen losses.
5. Plant biostimulants. Material improving the nutrition processes of crops, in particular by improving how efficiently they use nutrients and their resistance to environmental conditions.
6. Growing mediums. Material other than soil in which plants grow.

MAIN DOCUMENT

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, pp. 1–114).

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Regulation (EU) 2024/2516 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 as regards the digital labelling of EU fertilising products (OJ L, 2024/2516, 30.9.2024).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/973 of 14 March 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council by laying down criteria on agronomic efficiency and safety for the use of by-products in EU fertilising products (OJ L 167, 24.6.2022, pp. 29–33).

Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market and repealing Council Directives 79/117/EEC and 91/414/EEC (OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, pp. 1–50).

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 (Animal by-products Regulation) (OJ L 300, 14.11.2009, pp. 1–33).

See consolidated version.