Regulation (EU) 2019/1009

Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, adopted on 5 June 2019, lays down the rules for making fertilising products available on the market in the European Union. When it began to apply, in July 2022, it repealed the older Regulation (EC) 2003/2003, broadening the scope to include organic fertilisers, soil improvers, growing media and products derived from recycled materials or by-products.

It is a cornerstone of the EU's circular economy strategy, because it encourages the use of fertilisers made from recovered waste (such as compost and digestate) and sets common quality, safety and labelling criteria across all Member States.

Main objectives

1. Harmonise the European fertiliser market through a single framework.
2. Ensure the safety and effectiveness of fertilising products.
3. Promote recycled and organic materials, in line with the circular economy.
4. Reduce environmental and health risks by limiting contaminants such as heavy metals.
5. Support innovation and competitiveness in the European fertiliser industry.

Scope

The regulation applies to EU fertilising products that bear the CE marking. This includes:

• Inorganic and organic fertilisers.
• Soil improvers.
• Plant biostimulants.
• Inhibitors (for example nitrification inhibitors).
• Growing media.

Products that do not meet the requirements can still be sold under national legislation, but without the CE marking.

Product function categories

The regulation defines several Product Function Categories (PFCs):

1. Fertilisers (inorganic, organic and organo-mineral).
2. Soil improvers.
3. Plant biostimulants.
4. Inhibitors.
5. Growing media.

Each category has specific technical and safety requirements.

Permitted input materials

Regulation 2019/1009 introduces the concept of Component Material Categories (CMCs), which include:

• Virgin raw materials (minerals, nutrients).
• Organic by-products.
• Compost.
• Digestate from biogas production.
• Biochar and pyrolysis materials.
• Safe industrial by-products.

Link with the circular economy

This regulation is a pillar of the transition towards a more sustainable agriculture, because it allows recycled materials such as compost or digestate to obtain the CE marking and access the European single market as fertilisers.

In this way, urban, agricultural and industrial waste can be turned into resources, closing the nutrient cycle and reducing dependence on imported mineral fertilisers.

Benefits

For farmers

• Greater certainty about fertiliser quality.
• Access to more sustainable, innovative products.
• Potential cost savings with local organic fertilisers.

For industry

• A harmonised framework for selling across the EU.
• A boost to innovation in alternative fertilisers.
• An opportunity to valorise industrial by-products.

For the environment

• Reduced pollution from nitrates and phosphates.
• Lower dependence on phosphate mining.
• Support for sustainable management of organic waste.

Implementation challenges

1. Adapting local industries to the new contaminant limits.
2. Certification and testing costs for small companies.
3. Limited awareness among farmers about the new CE fertiliser categories.
4. The need to strengthen traceability of recycled materials.

Looking ahead

• Incentivising research into biofertilisers.
• Strengthening public-private cooperation on sustainable fertilisers.
• Extending training for farmers and technicians on the new products.
• Connecting the regulation with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the goals of the European Green Deal.

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