Question on animal by-products in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation
7.9.2022
Question for written answer E-002977/2022
to the Commission
Rule 138
Franc Bogovič (PPE)
The current situation, which has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has highlighted the need for diversified nutrient sources to ensure EU food production and global food supply. Additionally, some regions of Europe have an excess of animal by-products to manage, and the European Green Deal touts the need to address nutrient pollution.
When it was proposed in March 2016, the stated policy objective of the new EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)[1] was to enable farmers across the EU to easily and sufficiently access fertilising products derived from EU ‘organic or secondary raw materials in line with the circular economy model’. It appears that the current implementation acts under the FPR will hinder fertiliser access for farmers across Europe by restricting potential organic sources of nutrients (e.g. oilseed cakes treated with chemical solvents, derived products of animal origin, etc.).
Today, Component Material Category 10 of the FPR is still empty and the development of the list of end-points for materials derived from animal by-products has been delayed.
- 1.What is the Commission doing to ensure that farmers have access to the products they require?
- 2.What is it doing to accelerate the recycling of nutrients from safe and sustainable organic sources in Europe?
- 3.How will it ensure that no animal by-products are omitted from the list without due safety justification?
- [1] Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 laying down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products, OJ L 170, 25.6.2019, p. 1.