Member States: How they are regulated – level playing field primary and secondary phosphorus All: What is new – any innovation, anything forgotten, new forms, new processes regarding phosphorus recycling Three presentations were given on the availability of phosphorus and how it could be used sustainably. Revision of the Fertilisers Regulation: follow-up to the orientation debate of March and further refinements EC had received several written comments on the essential safety requirements. Vincent Delvaux (DG ENTR) presented the feedback and the Commission’s thoughts: Safety requirements must be part of the essential requirements, set by law – particularly important if no EU EoW will be set. The limit values should be harmonised as far as possible across the fertilising material categories. There must be either EoW or a long list of contaminants in the Fertiliser Regulation to prevent any risks related to waste Industries had requested that Cu and Zn values should be subject to labelling if they exceed the limit values as it is difficult to comply with the strict limit values – no EC decision yet, Norway objected: according to a recent Norwegian study, CU and Zn have effect on human health – maximum limits should be complied with. The proposed limit values are presented in the attached presentation ACTION: Any further comments to the EC latest by the end of August BE: will vote against the Fertiliser Regulation if there will be no EU EoW criteria EC: even if there are just national EoW, fertilisers produced in another EU country may be traded in Belgium as they anyway comply with essential legal requirements of the Fertiliser Regulation Quality requirements: Relatively low limits established for secondary elements (calcium, magnesium), one Member State had been concerned about the resulting increased level of contaminants in soils when the amount of fertilising material would increase.
Member States: How they are regulated – level playing field primary and secondary phosphorus All: What is new – any innovation, anything forgotten, new forms, new processes regarding phosphorus recycling Three presentations were given on the availability of phosphorus and how it could be used sustainably. Revision of the Fertilisers Regulation: follow-up to the orientation debate of March and further refinements EC had received several written comments on the essential safety requirements. Vincent Delvaux (DG ENTR) presented the feedback and the Commission’s thoughts: Safety requirements must be part of the essential requirements, set by law – particularly important if no EU EoW will be set. The limit values should be harmonised as far as possible across the fertilising material categories. There must be either EoW or a long list of contaminants in the Fertiliser Regulation to prevent any risks related to waste Industries had requested that Cu and Zn values should be subject to labelling if they exceed the limit values as it is difficult to comply with the strict limit values – no EC decision yet, Norway objected: according to a recent Norwegian study, CU and Zn have effect on human health – maximum limits should be complied with. The proposed limit values are presented in the attached presentation ACTION: Any further comments to the EC latest by the end of August BE: will vote against the Fertiliser Regulation if there will be no EU EoW criteria EC: even if there are just national EoW, fertilisers produced in another EU country may be traded in Belgium as they anyway comply with essential legal requirements of the Fertiliser Regulation Quality requirements: Relatively low limits established for secondary elements (calcium, magnesium), one Member State had been concerned about the resulting increased level of contaminants in soils when the amount of fertilising material would increase.
2014-06-Fertiliser-WG-meeting_short-minutes.docx