EurEau welcomes the Fertiliser Action Plan presented by the European Commission yesterday, especially its emphasis on circularity.
Wastewater operators, who can recover essential nutrients that can replace imported mineral fertilisers, stand ready to contribute to European, bio-based and circular fertiliser solutions and make the EU Fertilisers Value Chain Partnership a success.
Key to stepping up sustainable solutions is a consistent and enabling policy framework, based on the overarching principle of control at source, including the Fertiliser Products Regulation, the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, the forthcoming Circular Economy Act, the Bioeconomy Strategy and the Biotech Acts.
As proposed by the Commission, minimum low-carbon and/or bio-based content blending requirements must be a key element, as well as the support for innovation and investment in wastewater nutrient recovery. Wastewater operators can only justify investment in nutrient recovery if there is stable demand and pull in the market and costs can be recovered.
The proposal to extend the RENURE Act to manure digestates is a source of concern. The Act amended the Nitrates Directive to allow farmers to exceed normal nitrate limits when applying certain types of processed manure, increasing nitrate pollution. The use of digestate – including from biogas-producing urban wastewater treatment plants– should come as a replacement for synthetic fertilisers, not as an addition.
We welcome the Commission’s pledge to publish the Nitrates Directive Evaluation “shortly”, and urge further efforts to be directed towards the Directive’s full implementation. The Plan’s announcement of support for nutrient-efficient farming practices is a positive step in this direction.