On Thursday, July 18th, ECOFI was part of an expert panel in a workshop hosted by Qlab. The workshop focused on the ongoing technical study on the inclusion of new materials in Component Material Category 10 (Animal By-Products) in Annex II of the EU’s Fertilising Product Regulation. This workshop was an excellent opportunity for ECOFI to continue our engagement with the European Commission and QLab on this critical issue, raise some industry concerns, and hear from other industry and academic experts.
Current regulatory barriers, such as the absence of animal by-products in CMC 10 of the Fertilising Products Regulation, prevent the realisation of a European European Circular Economy in this sector. ECOFI members can help reduce nutrient losses and bolster the EU’s strategic autonomy by taking by-products – such as animal by-products – and turning them into high-quality fertilising products, which can help improve farmer competitiveness and enhance the health of our agricultural soils.
That is why, alongside our work on this study, ECOFI’s manifesto also calls on the EU Commission and European Parliament to put innovation in circularity at the heart of their 2024-2029 work and ensure policy coherence across EU regulations. ECOFI welcomes the inclusion of the importance of the circular economy in Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines for the next European Commission 2024 – 2029. By recycling animal by-products and turning them into organic-based fertilisers, ECOFI members help bolster the EU’s strategic autonomy while also helping farmers promote Europe’s food security.