New EU ferts regulation to have ‘positive, long-term’ effects for sustainability of agriculture – PhosAgro

LONDON (ICIS)–PhosAgro has welcomed the adoption of new regulation in the EU for fertilizers, the Russian phosphates major said on Wednesday.

EU fertilizers bearing the ‘CE marking’ will have to fulfil certain requirements to benefit from free circulation in the EU’s internal market.

The requirements would include obligatory maximum contaminant levels, the use of defined component material categories, and labelling requirements.

This decision will lead to the limit of cadmium levels in phosphate-based fertilizers across Europe, which is expected to come into full effect in three years.

“PhosAgro held a less than 15% share of the European market for phosphate fertilizers in 2018, and the new requirements are not expected to have a significant effect on our diversified sales structure in the region,” said PhosAgro’s CEO Andrey Guryev.

“Notably, this creates incentives for fertilizer producers all over the world to continue to develop and to improve their operations in order to meet the growing demand for high-quality food both in Europe and globally.”

The company welcomed the historic decision taken in Europe to limit the circulation of fertilizers with high cadmium content, because it would create “positive long-term effects for the sustainability of agriculture and food producers” in Europe but also around the world.

“The decision taken by the European Council is particularly important given growing concern about the quality and safety of food across the world,” said PhosAgro’s chairman Sven Ombudstvedt.