The European Parliament adopted by 596 votes to 7, with 5 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 as regards the digital labelling of EU fertilising products.
The proposed Regulation aims to improve the readability of the labels of EU fertilising products and to facilitate the management of such labels by the economic operators in order to guarantee the functioning of the internal market.
The European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the proposal as follows:
Obligations of manufacturers
Manufacturers should ensure that EU fertilising products are accompanied by the labelling elements:
- in a language which can be easily understood by end-users, as determined by the Member State concerned;
- clear, understandable, accurate, intelligible and prominently placed on the packaging;
- accessible for inspection purposes when the EU fertilising product is made available on the market.
Where EU fertilising products are made available to economic operators on the market in packaging, they should be accompanied by the labelling elements set out in Annex III in the following form:
- on a label in a digital form or;
- on a label in a physical form attached to the packaging or, for the labelling elements that cannot be provided on the label due to the packaging being too small, in a separate leaflet accompanying the packaging.
The digital label may include recommendations and best practices for the use of the EU fertilising product.
The digital label should be:
- presented in a way that also addresses the needs of vulnerable groups and supports, as relevant, the necessary adaptations to facilitate access by those groups, in particular those consisting of persons with disabilities;
- available for a period of 10 years from the moment that the EU fertilising product was placed on the market, including in the event of the insolvency, liquidation or cessation of activity in the Union of the economic operator that created it.
Where EU fertilising products are made available on the market with a digital label, the economic operator supplying them to end-users should post the labelling information in a visible place at the point of sale. This will help to ensure that potential end-users are properly informed and enable them to make an informed purchase.
Evaluation
By 7 years from the date of entry into force of this amending Regulation, the Commission should carry out an evaluation of the digital labelling of EU fertilising products as introduced by the Regulation. As part of that evaluation, it should assess in particular:
- the impact of digital labelling of EU fertilising products on the proper functioning of the internal market, the level of consumer protection and impact of digital labelling of EU fertilising products on businesses, in particular micro, small and medium-sized enterprises;
- the impact of Article 11a (form of labelling) and in particular the extent to which economic operators opted for the use of a digital label.
The Commission should draw up a report on the main findings and submit it to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee. Member States should provide the Commission with the information necessary for the preparation of that report.
The report should be accompanied, where appropriate, by a legislative proposal.