On Monday 27 February, the European Commission adopted a proposal on the digital labelling of fertiliser products in the EU.
In the EU, digital labelling is already used for some products containing chemical substances - for instance batteries - and rules for digital labelling are under consideration for others, such as detergents, cosmetics and chemicals.
Suppliers of fertiliser products that meet EU health, safety, and environmental standards (CE-marked) will be allowed to provide information on a digital label. This will help to better inform users, leading to a more efficient use of fertiliser products. At the same time, the proposal aims to simplify labelling obligations for suppliers and will reduce costs: €57,000 per year for a large company and €4,500 for an SME.
Digital labelling will be voluntary, meaning that suppliers and retailers will be able to choose how to communicate labelling information (physical format, digital format or a combination of both).
Products sold in packages to farmers will continue to carry the most important information on a physical label (in the interest of safety for human health and the environment), in addition to the digital label.
The new rules will apply two and a half years after their adoption.
Link to the proposal: https://aeur.eu/f/5ih (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)