Inhibited fertilisers under scrutiny: EU campaign finds labelling issues

Paris, France, Sept 8, 2026 (MediaConnect) - Press release from European Commission DG JUST-Tuesday 08 September 2026.

Farmers need to be sure that fertiliser manufacturers correctly declare what their products contain. This ensures optimal crop yields, reduces environmental impact and keeps costs down for farmers and consumers such as hobby gardeners. A recent EU testing campaign identified incorrectly labelled products and ensured that corrective action was taken.

National authorities in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Slovenia had samples of 21 fertilisers sold on their markets tested. A total of 14 (67%) of the samples either did not have information declared on their labels as required by applicable legislation, or had not accurately stated the amount of nitrification or urease inhibitors in the product.

These inhibitors ensure that nitrogen remains available to crops for longer, prevent leaching and run-off and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Too little inhibitor can mean more nitrogen is lost before crops can use it, reducing efficiency and increasing costs for farmers. Too much, or more than the label states, can undermine trust in dosing instructions and increase the risk of unnecessary emissions or nutrient losses.

Inaccurate labelling can affect farmers by contributing to higher food production costs and weaker confidence in product information.

Actions taken

National authorities contacted the economic operators responsible for the non?compliant products to discuss the results. They either requested corrections to inaccurate labelling, or asked for technical documentation to understand deviations in analytical results.

What can you do?

If you're buying CE-marked fertiliser for your farm or garden and have doubts about the safety or compliance of the product, you can contact your Market Surveillance Authority. This helps them identify and address risks. Also be sure to follow the use and storage instructions.

Manufacturers have to ensure that the content of the inhibitor matches the declared values. They are required to have the technical documentation, declaration of conformity (DoC), and health and safety information available before placing their product on the market. The DoC needs to clearly identify the product, to ensure it can be traced.

Next steps

The European Commission is implementing a project to develop approximately 120 standards for EU fertilising products, with a total budget of EUR 10 million. The goal is to have harmonised standards for CE-marked fertilisers to guarantee safety, quality and environmental compliance across the EU.

Steps are being taken to update the guidance document for the visual appearance of EU fertiliser labels.

EU-wide product testing

Testing of fertilisers was part of an EU-wide market surveillance campaign, the Joint Actions on Compliance of Products (JACOP) 2025, which is organised by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW).

JACOP helps keep the single market safe by enabling market surveillance authorities to jointly evaluate products, determine risks and ensure manufacturers take corrective action. The 2025 edition covered 11 product types, including gas barbecues, sunscreen, clothing, hazardous substances in electronic gadgets and protective equipment.

"Campaigns like JACOP protect European consumers from unsafe products and safeguard reputable businesses against competitors who try to circumvent EU rules," said DG GROW Policy Officer Vanessa Capurso.

For more information, please contact [email protected]

David [email protected]

Consultez la version source sur MediaConnect.com : https://mediaconnect.com/inhibited-fertilisers-under-scrutiny-eu-campaign-finds-labelling-issues

European Commission DG JUST

Disclaimer:This document is neither produced nor endorsed by AFP.Although distributed by MediaConnect, its issuer remains solely responsible for its contentIts reproduction is authorized in context without any distortion of content.If you have any question about this document, please contact its issuer.