GME Position Paper: Evaluation of the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

As part of the European Commission’s Call for Evidence, whose feedback period ran from 19 June to 19 September 2025, we actively engaged in the consultation process by submitting our position paper on the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR).

Growing Media Europe (GME) welcomes the ambitions of the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) to create a harmonised European market for fertilising products.

However, in its current form the regulation is not delivering on its objectives for the growing media sector, with almost no CE-marked products entering the market to date. The administrative and technical requirements are disproportionate, misaligned with industry realities, and risk stifling innovation and the use of safe, renewable raw materials. In THE position paper, GME identifies three main barriers: conceptual barriers, where growing media are misclassified and key sustainable materials excluded; technical barriers, including impractical pathogen thresholds, gaps in biodegradability criteria, and unnecessary parameters such as Chromium VI; and market entry barriers, where conformity assessment, labelling rules, and tolerance limits impose excessive burdens compared to the low-risk profile of growing media.

To address these issues, GME calls for a more balanced and practical regulatory approach: redefining PFC 4 to reflect the true nature of growing media, expanding the list of eligible materials, adjusting pathogen and biodegradability requirements, simplifying labelling rules, and allowing self-registration for market entry.

These changes would unlock the full potential of the FPR, enabling innovation, competitiveness, and the contribution of growing media to the EU’s circular bioeconomy.

GME remains committed to supporting the European Commission with data, expertise, and constructive dialogue to ensure the regulation achieves its intended impact.

To read the full text:

Position paper FPR.pdf

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