The approval of the new European regulation on fertilisers by the Parliament will come into force in May 2022.

On March 27, 2019, the European Parliament approved the proposal for a new European Regulation on fertiliser products. Before the final publication in the Official Journal and its entry coming into force, which is scheduled for May, the document must also be approved by the Council.

The date surely marks an epochal milestone for fertilising products, including organic fertilizers, organo-minerals, and biostimulants that are currently recognized only at national level. From 2022–when the regulation begins–they can be sold with the CE mark throughout the European community area.

The doors of the European market are now open to all producers of organic and organo-mineral fertilisers who base their activities on the principles of the circular economy for more sustainable plant nutrition with technical means useful for the management and maintenance of the fertility of soil. Additionally, it will allow the regulation of a very innovative sector: biostimulant products.

"Our company will greatly benefit from the harmonization of standards in Europe and the consequent opening of new markets for our organic matrix products with nutritional and biostimulant effects, which are innovative and high sustainable," explains Paolo Girelli, the ILSA president. "Finally, a set of clear rules also for biostimulants, new products in which we have been investing in a pioneering way for over a decade, which have incredibly positive effects on agricultural yields without impact on the environment," stresses Girelli.

EU fertiliser products can bear the CE mark and be placed on the EU internal market if they meet the safety and quality requirements as defined by the legislation in addition to compliance with the labelling requirements: clear and unique rules and attention to major environmental issues.

As a result, due to a precise definition and set of rules for the market, it will be possible to market products that can concretely support farmers in terms of higher crop yields, better quality production, and more resistance of plants to abiotic stresses.

With the new regulation, there will be more safety guarantees regarding human health and the environment for products placed on the market. Consequently, their effectiveness, usefulness, and clear and transparent labelling will allow the consumers to make more informed choices.