Commission proposes digital labelling for EU fertilising products to better inform users and reduce costs

The Commission has adopted a proposal on the voluntary digital labelling of EU fertilising products. In the EU, the digital labelling is already used for some products containing chemicals, for instance batteries, and rules for digital labelling are under consideration for others, like for detergents, cosmetics and chemicals.

Suppliers of fertilising products that meet EU-wide health, safety, and environmental standards (CE-marked) will be allowed to provide information on a digital label.

This will better inform users, leading to a more efficient use of fertilising products. It will in parallel simplify labelling obligations for suppliers and reduce costs:  €57,000 annually for a large company and €4,500 for an SME.

The digital labelling will be voluntary, meaning that suppliers and retailers can choose how to communicate the labelling information: a physical format, a digital format or a combination of the two. Products sold in packaging to farmers and other fertilisers consumers will continue to have the most important information on a physical label, such as on safety for human health and the environment, in addition to the digital label.

This proposal has been sent to the European Parliament and the Council. Once adopted, the new rules will apply two-and-a-half years after their adoption to allow for technical rules to be decided in the meantime.

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