The EU Fertilising Products Regulation:

Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.saveorganicsinsoil.org

Stefanie Siebert, Executive Director of ECN

www.compost-digestate.eu

@ECNnetwork
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu @compostnetwork
European Compost Network

66 Members from 28
European Countries

≈ 48 M tpa
Treatment Capacity

> 4.500
Composting &
Anaerobic Digestion
Plants

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
ECN Board

ECN Board 2022

▪ Kristel Vandenbroek (BE, VLACO) - Chair
▪ Massimo Centemero (IT, CIC) - Vice-Chair
▪ Irmgard Leifert (DE, BGK) - Treasurer
▪ Susana Lopes (Lipor, Portugal)
▪ Domantas Tracevicius (LT, NGO Ziedine ekonomika)
▪ Tomasz Wojciechowski (PL, GWDA)
▪ Arjen Brinkmann (NL, BVOR)
▪ Jens Måge, (NO, Avfall Norge)
▪ Horst Müller (AT, KBVÖ)

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
3
Annual Meeting 2022

The Annual Meeting (AM) 2022 took place on the

30 June 2022 in Brussels in conjunction with
▪ the celebration of ECN’s 20th Anniversary, and

▪ The joint policy workshop ‘Compost and Digestate in the Circular Bioeconomy:
Healthy Soil for Healthy Life’ with the EP Intergroup on Climate Change,
Biodiversity and Sustainable Development.

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
 Area European Policy

▪ TG Circular Economy - Chair: Stefanie Siebert

(ECN), Paricipants: all Board Members
▪ TG Compostable Materials - Chair: Marco Ricci-
Jürgensen (CIC, IT), 38 participants
▪ TG Biosolids - Chair Vacancy, 23 participants,
(pausiert)
▪ TG Separate Collection - Chair: Steffen Walk (TU
Hamburg-Harburg, DE), 21 participants
▪ TG Fertiliser Regulation - Chair: Irmgard Leifert
(Reterra Service GmbH, DE), 33 participants
▪ TG ABPR - Co-Chairs: Percy Foster (CRÉ, IE) and
Wim Vanden Auweele (Vlavo, BE) , 13 participants
▪ TG Soil & Organic Matter - Chair: Alberto
Confalonieri (CIC, IT), 26 participants
▪ TG Quality Assurance - Chair: Wim Vanden
Auweele (Vlaco, BE), 33 participants

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Biowaste & The Circular Bioeconomy

BIOWASTE BIOWASTE in the Circular Bioeconomy

A Cross-Cutting Resource
European Green Deal
Bioeconomy Strategy
Biodiversity Strategy
Farm to Fork Strategy
Soil Strategy
Waste Framework
Directive
Zero Pollution Action
plan

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
EU Policy Approach - The EU Green Deal

Carbon Neutral Economy 2050 CE Action Plan

2020

Climate law • New chemicals strategy for sustainability

▪ GHG emissions reduction from source

2021
▪ GHG emissions removal from the atmosphere in
natural sinks – e.g. in soil • Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria and targets
in sectoral legislation with mandatory reporting
• Industrial Emission Directive: Revision
Farm to Fork Strategy 2020 • Unintentional release of microplastics: labelling,
standardisation, certification and regulatory
measures
• Waste Shipment Regulation: Revision
• Reducing mineral fertilisers and pesticides;
increasing organic farming 2022

• Harmonised model for separate collection and

Biodiversity Strategy 2030 labelling of waste

• 30 % restoring land and increasing organic 2023

farming • Regulatory framework for certification of carbon

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu removals
▪ 65 % recycling target for EU Green Deal & CE ▪ Boosting organic matter (biowaste) recycling
municipal waste by 2035 from biowaste
Key elements
▪ Mandatory ofcollected
separate Biowaste CE related policies ▪ Integration of organic fertilising products into
or separated at source by 2023 the scope of the new Regulation
▪ Ban on Mechanical biological ▪ Introducing harmonised EU rules for products
Treatment from Recycling by Fertilising diverting from organic waste materials
Waste
2027 Products ▪ CE marking and free trade for organic
▪ Landfill target Maximum 10 %
Framework
& fertilising products across EU
of municipal solid waste by & ▪ Optional harmonisation
Animal By-
2035 Landfill ▪ End point in the manufacturing chain for
Products
Directives ABP-derived materials
Regulation
▪ Integrated Nutrient ▪ Soils should be in a healthy condition by
Management Action plan Farm to Fork Soil Health 2050
(INMAP) & Law ▪ 60-70 % of soil ecosystems in the EU are
▪ Reduce nutrient losses by at Sustainable & unhealthy and suffering from continuing
least 50 % without Carbon Biodiversity degradation
deterioration in soil fertility Cycles strategy ▪ 12,7 % of Europe is effected by moderate to
▪ Reduction of fertiliser use by high erosion
at least 20 % ▪ EU Soil Health Law by 2023
▪ Carbon farming practises & ▪ Identifying Soil health indicators & Soil
carbon removal schemes Health Certificate
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
▪ 30 % restoring land and increasing organic
farming (25% organic farmland by 2030)
EU Fertilising Products Regulation

▪ EU Fertilising Product Regulation entered into force on 16/07/2022

Consolidated Version of EU FPR 16/07/2022

▪ Frequently Asked Questions - as implementation guidance

Consolidated version from 15 July 2022
▪ Blue Guide on the implementation of the product rules (29/06/2022)
Blue Guide on the implementation of the product rules 2022
Team of DG Grow
▪ Standardisation process EU FERT

EU End-of-waste criteria for compost and digestate

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Structure of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

Exhaustive list of Component Exhaustive list of Product Conformity assessment

Materials Categories CMC Function Categories procedure related to ‘CMC/PFC’
PFC (7) combination
(11) • Modul A - D1
• Quality • Declaration of conformity
• Quality • Safety
• Safety • Declaration
•… •…

CMC 3 Compost PFC 1 A. Organic fertiliser Modul D.1

CMC 5 Digestates other PFC 3 A. Organic Soil Improver Quality Assurance of
than from energy crops PFC 4 Growing Media Process and Products
PFC 7 Fertilising Products Blends
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
PFC1(A)(I)/(II) – Requirements for organic fertilisers

PFC 1 (A)(I) PFC 1 (A)(II)

Criteria Solid Liquid
Corg ≥ 15 % ≥5%
▪ Digestate will unlikely fulfil
Nitrogen (N) ≥ 2,5 %* ≥2% the minimum nutrient
content for organic
Phosphorus (P205) ≥ 2 %* ≥ 1% fertilisers
Potassium* (K2O) ≥2%* ≥2% ▪ Compost as well not

SUM (NPK) (1/1/1) ≥ 4 (1/1/1) ≥ 3 %

All values based on fresh matter
* As a minimum one of the three nutrient contents have to been reached Digestate and compost
cannot be placed as CE
marked organic fertilisers
on the EU market!
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
PFC3(A) – Requirements for organic soil improvers

EP
Dry matter ≥ 20 %
Corg ≥ 7,5 %
▪ Solid digestate and compost
Composition An organic soil improver shall consist 95% of fulfil the criteria
material of solely biological origin

including peat, leonardite, lignite and humic

substances obtained from them

but excluding other materials which are ▪ Liquid digestate do not fulfil
fossilized or embedded in geological the criteria
formations.

All values based on fresh matter

Compost and solid digestate can
be CE marked as organic soil
improvers, but
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Further requirements for oganic fertilisers and soil improvers

Criteria PFC 1 (A)(I)/(II) PFC 3 (A)

Organic fertiliser Organic soil improver
Cd (mg/kg dm) 1,5 2 ▪ Compost and digestate will
Cr IV / Cr (mg/kg dm) 2/- 2/- meet the limit values
Hg (mg/kg dm) 1 1
Ni (mg/kg dm) 50 50
Pb (mg/kg dm) 120 120
▪ Amendment of the
Cu (mg/kg dm) 300 300 determination methods for
Zn (mg/kg dm) 800 800 E.Coli

As /mg/kg dm) 40 40
C2H5N3O2 (g/kg dm) absent -
Salmonella spp. absent absent
E. Coli / Enterococcaceae (CFU/g) ≤ 1000
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate
≤ 1000
www.compost-digestate.eu
Further requirements for organic fertilisers and soil improvers

Criteria Fertilisers Reg. Fertiliser Reg.

Digestate Compost
(CMC 5) (CMC 3)
▪ Compost and digestate have lower
PAH16 (mg/kg dm) 6 6 amounts of impurities.
Weed seeds (seeds /L) - -
Impurities (% dm) ≤ 0,5x1 ≤ 0,5x1
Stability
Oxygen Update rate [OUR] 25 25 ▪ Additional analyses on organic
(mmol O2/ OM *h) pollutants (PAH16)
OUR/Rotting degree /Residual Gas potential
▪ Threshold of the Stability criteria
-/≤0,25/- III/-/- ‚OUR‘ for digestate difficult to meet
(liter biogas/g volatile solids) / organic acides
(mg/l) ▪ Method for residual biogas
potential time consuming and
X1no more than 3 g/kg (DM) of macroscopic impurities above 2 mm in any of the following forms: glass, costly
metal or plastics, and from 16/07/2026 plastics above 2 mm shall be no more then 2,5 g/kg (DM), and
re-asseed fbyEU
09/11/2022 The 16/05/2029
Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Input- and process requirements for composting and anaerobic digestion

Fertiliser Regulation ▪ ‚clean‘ input material

Input Bio-waste, source separated, ABP cat. 2 & 3, excluding sewage sludge,
material industrial sludges and mixed municipal waste ▪ No sludges from the food
Plus a liquid or non-liquid microbial or non-microbial extract made out and feed industry as input
of compost; and material allowed
Unprocessed and mechanically processed residues from food ▪ For ABP-derived materials
production industries, except ABPR materials (catering waste) the
Process a) Thermophilic at 55 °C/24 h/hydraulic retention time of 20 days standard transformation
b) Thermophilic at 55 °C incl. pasteurisation step 70 °C-1h parameters of the EU ABPR
criteria
c) Thermophilic at 55 °C followed by composting have to be fulfilled
for (70°C/1h 12mm)
d) Mesophilic at 37-40 °C incl. pasteurisation step 70 °C-1 h
digestate
e) Mesophilic at 37-40 °C followed by composting
Process 70 °C ≥ 3 days
criteria 65 °C ≥ 5 days Compost and digestate
for 60 °C ≥ 7 days including catering waste can
55 °C ≥ 14 days not be placed as CE marked
compost
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
products on the EU market!
Animal By-Product Regulation / EU FPR

Compost and digestate from kitchen waste (food waste in biobin) cannot be placed as CE
marked products on the EU market!
▪ Standard transformation parameter of EU ABPR (70 h/1 h/12 mm)
▪ Alternative transformation parameters for biogas and composting plants under national Regulation are not
valid / permitted / sufficient
▪ Need for validation of alternative transformation parameters for biogas and composting plants under the
EU ABPR
European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) new application by ECN
▪ ECN application for alternative time/temperature profiles for tunnel composting
• 60 °C /48 h <200 mm
• 55 °C /72 h <200 mm
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Animal By-Product Regulation / EU FPR

European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) ECN

application 2019
▪ ECN application for alternative time/temperature ▪ Not endorsed by EFSA (2020) as no evidence
profiles in tunnel composting was provided that thermo-resistant parvovirus
• 60 °C /48 h <200 mm were reduced (3log reduction)
• 55 °C /72 h <200 mm

▪ New ECN application for alternative time/temperature

profiles in tunnel composting by end of 2022
• 60 °C / 48 h <200 mm
▪ Labour trials by University Hohenheim give
evidence that thermo-resistant viruses are 3
• 55 °C / 72 h <200 mm
log reducers within the proposed
• With evidence on the reduction of thermo-resistant viruses time/temperatures profiles and within the
(3log reduction) compost materials

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Results from University Hohenbeim1

Evidence for 3log Reduktion:

Thermo-resistant viruses are reduced by 60 °C / 48 h and 55 °C / 72 h!
1Fakultät Agrarwissenschaften I Institut für Nutztierwissenschaften I
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Fachgebiert Infektions- und Umwelthygiene bei Nutztieren
ABPR/EU FPR End point in the manufacturing chain

Draft delegated regulation on the determination of end points in the manufacturing chain of ABP-derived
compost and digestate products published (public consultation deadline 24 October 2022)
ECN response to public consultation
▪ Request to include point (g) transformation of animal by-products and/or derived products into biogas or
compost of Article 24 (1), of the Regulation (EC) 1069/2009 under Article 5 of the draft delegated regulation
as well.
▪ Inconsistency between the possibility to place compost or digestate on the market according to the EU FPR
2019/1009 and the ABPR 1069/2009
▪ ECN called to allow alternative treatment processes with comparable conditions than the standard treatment
parameters to prevent risks to public and animal health which are validated and allowed by the competent
authority by adding Section 2, point 1 of Chapter III of Annex V of Regulation (EU) No 142/2011 to Article 3 (b)
and (c) of this delegated regulation.
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
EU Standardisation process

Standardisation process Parameters of

relevance for ECN
▪ 68 analytical methods
have to be developed ▪ Sampling (solid and
to European standards liquid materials)
(EN) under the EU ▪ Process parameter
Fertilising Product (Time-temperature
measurement)
Regulation
▪ Stability (OUR, SHT,
▪ Technical Specifications RBP)
April 2022 - Non-
▪ Impurities (glass,
validated methods
metal, plastics)
▪ Standards April 2024 - ▪ Organic
Methods need to be contaminants (PAH)
validated in approved State of the process
labs • Nomination of project leaders for interlaboratory studies
• Nomination of laboratories to take part in the interlaboratory
trials
09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Quality assurance and conformity assessment

Quality Assurance is a pre-condition for

placing compost- or digestate-based
fertilising products on the European Market

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Conformity assessment according to EU FPR

▪ External control/conformity assessment of the quality assurance scheme of an operator

by accredited organisation

▪ Restricted availability of QAS for digestate in place (Vlaco, BE; BGK, DE; Certification
Centre of Recycled Materials, EE,)

▪ No or limited experiences of notified, accredited conformity assessment bodies

▪ Experience exchange and setting up implementation rules for conformity assessment in

the EU Coordination group for conformity assessment bodies – ECN as observer involved

▪ So far no national quality assurance organisation (like BGK) accredited and notified

▪ Possible cooperation with accredited and notified bodies

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Notified conformity assessment bodies

List of notified conformity assessment bodies in NANDO information system:

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/toolsdatabases/nando/index.cfm?fuseaction=directive.notifiedbody&dir_id=159361

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
 Perspectives & Challengenes for operators of composting and AD
Strengths Weakness
Internal ▪ End of waste status: product status ▪ Incoherence on legal aspects according to ABPR & EU FPR
factors ▪ Creation of new markes and new customers ▪ Assessment on medium- and long-term demand for CE
▪ Marketing across EU borders (without mutual product
recognition) ▪ Cost estimation for CE certification
▪ Increased acceptance of waste-derived ▪ Development of cost of production (energy, machines,
products by manufacturers of substrates and personal)
growing media ▪ Estimation of price development of CE products
▪ Increased product prices
Opportunities Threats
External ▪ Political willingness to support the recycling of ▪ Delay in implementation of the EU FPR, amendments and
factors biowaste with the aim to replace primary improvements by setting up delegated acts
resources for the production of fertilisers and ▪ Delay in the standardisation process for the development
growing media of analytical methods
▪ Creation of new markets (increased demand ▪ Missing support by national authorities for the
for alternative materials for use in fertilisers notification of conformity assessment bodies
and growing media ▪ No significant increased demand of CE products
▪ Additional income

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Perspectives and challenges for manufacturers of compost and digestate

Examination of the CE marketing for compost and digestate

Strengths Weakness
Green compost +++++
Biowaste compost +++ --
▪ Fresh compost + ----
▪ Mature compost ++++ -

Digestate + (+) - (-)

▪ Solid digestate ++ ---
▪ Liquid digestate -----

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
▪ Enforcement: implementation of KEY CHALLENGES ▪ Unsuitable ABPR treatment
Keybiowaste
elements
separateof Biowaste
collection (esp. CE related policies requirements for food waste from
food waste) kitchen (Cat. 3)
▪ Binding recycling target for ▪ Exemption of sludges from food &
separate collected/source Fertilising feed processing industries as
input material for composting &
separated municipal biowaste Products
▪ Separate collection/recycling target Waste AD
& ▪ Unbalanced requirements in the
for commercial and industrial Framework
Animal By- conformity assessment
biowaste Directive
Products procedures for compost & AD
Regulation

▪ Including compost & digestate from Farm to Fork Soil Health Law ▪ Maintaining & improving soil
biowaste in carbon farming organic matter
& & ▪ Recognition of carbon
practises, carbon removal schemes
Sustainable Biodiversity sequestration potential of
▪ Replacement of mineral fertilisers
with high-quality recycled organic Carbon Cycles strategy compost and solid digestate
materials ▪ Replacement of peat in growing
▪ Recognition of soil organic matter media with high-quality recycled
in the Integrated Nutrient organic materials (compost &
Management Action Plan solid digestate)

EU CE & Green Deal

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
ECN’s Data Report 2022

Comprehensive survey in 2021

Amounts &
Soil
Types of Bio- Facilities Employment Markets
Improvement
Waste

Download:
www.compostnetwork.info

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Biowaste Treatment – FOR PEOPLE – JOB CREATION

NUMBER OF FACILITIES 5.800

FTEs PER FACILITY TONNES PER FTE
4.700
2.000
COMPOSTING 4.7 4,200
ANAEROBIC
4.9 5,300
1.600 DIGESTION

AD
Composting

3.800
3.100
1.100
400

700

EU CH, NO & UK TOTAL

FTE – Full Time Equivalent Employees

06/10/2022 ECN Perspektiven der Implementierung der EU FPR www.compostnetwork.info

Biowaste Collection – Compost & Digestate Production

50
(EU27 + CH, NO & UK)

42
71 M tpa 21 M tpa
40 BIO-WASTE RECYCLED COMPOST PRODUCED
6
Bio-waste recycled (M tpa)

Surface area Fraction of Arable Fraction of Mod./

30 29 (million ha) Land Severely Eroded
5 Land
2.1 2% 16%
20
36

24
10
1.2 million tonnes CO2-eq 19.1 million
sequestered on agricultural = urban tree
- soils every year seedlings grown
Biowaste to Biowaste to
06/10/2022 ECN Perspektiven der Implementierung der EU FPR
compost AD
www.compostnetwork.info
for 10 years
ECN Data report 2022 - Sponsors

Thanks to all sponsors of the ECN Data report 2022!

Quanturi

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu
Further information

Sign the manifesto Visit ECN Homepage:

‘Save Organics in Soil’:
www.saveorganicsinsoil.org www.compost-digestate.eu

https://www.compostnetwork.info/download/ecn-status-report-2022/

09/11/2022 The EU Fertilising Products Regulation: Challenges and Perspectives for Digestate www.compost-digestate.eu