EU reaches deal on voluntary digital labelling of fertilisers
Crop spraying
(BRUSSELS) - The European Parliament and EU Council reached a political deal Tuesday on the voluntary digital labelling of EU fertiliser products to make fertilisers' labelling, clearer, simpler.. and more digital.
Digital labels are QR or bar codes that redirect the user to a web page where the information for the label is stored. Digital solutions reduce substantially the cost of labelling and at the same time makes it easy to update its content.
The new rules will allow manufacturers and suppliers of CE-marked fertilising products that meet EU-wide standards for health, safety, and the environment to provide labelling information in digital form. This is expected to lead to a more efficient use of EU fertilising products. The rules streamline labelling obligations for businesses, so that their costs will be reduced.
The voluntary nature of digital labelling is supposed to provide flexibility for manufacturers and distributers to select their preferred mode of communication - whether through a physical format, a digital format, or a combination of both.
For fertilising products sold in bulk, economic operators may opt for labelling digitally only if the information is posted physically at the point of sale.
Key information relevant for safety for human health and the environment will be maintained on a physical label for packaged products sold to end-users.
End-users will be able to request information on digital labels through alternative means.
Digital labelling is already used for some products containing chemicals, for instance batteries, and rules for digital labelling are under consideration for other products (i.e. detergents, cosmetics and other chemicals). The simplification of labelling obligations is expected to reduce annual costs by, on average, EUR 57,000 for a large company and EUR 4,500 for an SME.
Once formally adopted, the new rules will apply two and a half years after their entry into force to allow for technical rules to be developed in the meantime.