We are proud to launch the Joint Task Force (JTF), an initiative led by the European Consortium of the Organic-Based Fertiliser Industry (ECOFI) together with the European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC), 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), representing the fertilising products value chain.
Our first joint paper highlights structural barriers in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR – EU 2019/1009).
Fertilisers are essential to soil health, agricultural productivity and Europe’s food security. Circular and bio-based fertilising materials – including many already safely used under national frameworks – can help farmers recycle nutrients, reduce waste and strengthen resilience. Yet today, many of these materials are blocked from EU-wide market access. Not because of safety concerns, but because the regulatory system lacks a workable pathway to include them.
This has concrete consequences:
- Farmers have fewer sustainable tools to manage soils and nutrients
- Opportunities to reduce nutrient losses and waste at system level are missed
- SMEs face disproportionate regulatory barriers
- The Single Market does not function as intended
At a time when Europe is focused on competitiveness, resilience and strategic autonomy, the regulatory framework must enable innovation and circularity – not structurally exclude them.
The ongoing FPR evaluation must address these systemic shortcomings. We call for a clear, criteria-based pathway to ensure safe materials and processes can be included in a predictable and timely manner.