EUROPEAN COMPOST NETWORK
ECN e.V.

Network for Organic Resources and Biological Treatment

ECN E-BULLETIN No. 04_2021

16 April 2021

International Compost Awarweness Week 2021 I 2-8 May 2021

How to recycle organics and to feed our soils? A Compost Journey Across Europe!

On May 5, during ICAW 2021, the European Compost Network will organise a webinar to celebrate the International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) 2021 across Europe.

We will present a collection of experiences from different European countries under the motto 'Recycle your organics…to save organics in soil - COMPOST!

Compost adds carbon back into the soil, storing carbon in soils, promoting water conservation, and retarding erosion of soils and closes the loop by avoiding the loss of valuable organic resources.

“The motto recognizes the opportunity for the agriculture to become more sustainable and achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork Strategy and Biodiversity Strategy. Circular movement of the organics recycling process flowing from farm to fork to farm again creates healthy soils leading to cleaner environment and more nutritious food. The never-ending cycle will always start again, once bio-waste is separately collected.” explained Stefanie Siebert, European Compost Network Executive Director.

We will show the best uses of compost with participants from Portugal, Italy, Poland, Norway, Belgium, from North to South and from West to East. All Europeans should be proud of the achievements of the compost sector which can count on extensive knowledge and pioneering entrepreneurship that are acknowledged as best practices worldwide. It is not a coincidence, that the European Union introduced the obligation for all Member States to introduce the separate collection of bio-waste. Who does compost, saves organics in soil and helps the planet!

International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the organics recycling industry. It is celebrated in many countries throughout the world annually during the first full week of May. Started in Canada over twenty-five years ago, ICAW has continued to grow as more people, businesses, municipalities, schools and organizations are recognizing the importance of organics recycling and compost use.

Further information can be assessed here.

Please find the ECN press release on ICAW 2021 here.

ECN Policy Briefing

New ECN Policy Brief on the Common Agricultural Policy Available

The EU needs to adopt a consistent and coherent policy framework for soil quality to make the existing incentives and measures more effective and ultimately achieve the goals of the European Green Deal.

The European Union decided to address soil quality with two policy instruments: The Common Agricultural Policy and the EU Updated Thematic Strategy on Soil. While it is too early to analyse and evaluate the soil strategy because the European Commission did not adopt it yet, more details are already available for the new Common Agricultural Policy that should start in 2023.

Through this short policy brief, the European Compost Network analysed the main objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy and how regular application of quality compost and digestate can enable the attainment of those objectives.

The ECN Policy Brief on the Common Agricultural Policy and Soil can be downloaded here.

EU Commission I Deadline 23 April

Public consultation on Organic Farming Regulation

The European Commission has opened the public consultation on the implementation regulation on Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products. The public consultation is open until 23 April 2021:

The European Compost Network (ECN) welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to update the list of authorized fertilisers and soil improvers, including digestate and compost for the production in organic farming.

In Article 2 ‘Fertilisers, soil conditioners and nutrients’ it is expressed that ‘only the products and substances listed in Annex II of this Regulation may be used in organic production as fertilisers, soil conditioners and nutrients for plant nutrition, litter improvement and enrichment, ..., provided that they are compliant with, , the relevant applicable Articles of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, ..., Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, ..., and Commission Regulation (EU) No 142/2011 and, where applicable, in accordance with national provisions based on Union Law.’

With regard to the above quoted Article 2 we fear that besides national rules the restrictions and specifications set in the horizontal legislations on fertilising products (Regulation (EU) 2019/1009) and on animal by-products (Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, COM (EU) No 142/2011) for compost and digestate from bio-waste must be met. If this is the case, that would hinder the use of compost and digestate from bio-waste under organic farming practices, as it is common practise today under national rules in several European countries.

ECN will respond on this public consultation and we are in contact with the European Commission to discuss this initiative further. Please take part in the public consultation here.

UNEP I 4 April 2021

New Food Waste Index Report 2021 published

The fact that substantial amounts of food are produced but not eaten by humans has substantial negative impacts: environmentally, socially and economically. Estimates suggest that 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed.

The Food Waste Index Report aims at supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 12.3, which aims at halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses. The report presents the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling to date, generating a new estimate of global food waste; and publishing a methodology for countries to measure food waste, at household, food service and retail level, to track national progress towards 2030 and to report on SDG 12.3. Countries using this methodology will generate strong evidence to guide a national strategy on food waste prevention, that is sufficiently sensitive to pick up changes in food waste over two- or four-year intervals, and that enables meaningful comparisons between countries globally.

The full report, the appendix and the database can be accessed here:

Announcements

ECN & EBA webinar I 28 April 2020

Digestate Valorisation under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation

By 2022, EU Member States must implement the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR), which will allow the recycling of separately collected bio-waste to make organic fertilising products, including digestate. What is the perception of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation among EU Member States? Which are the incentives to use digestate for CE marked products?

David Wilken (Head of department: Waste, Fertilizer and Hygiene, German Biogas Association) will present the findings on a recent evaluation carried out by the EBA and ECN on the interest of the biogas and compost sectors to place organic fertilizing products on the internal market that would comply with the requirements of the FPR.

Participants will also have the chance to discuss the goals of the FPR to valorise organic fertilizer and strengthen circular economy with Ana-Lucia Crisan (Legal Officer, European Commission – DG Grow).

Join us online for a fruitful discussion on the implementation of EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)! Please register here.

The 2nd International Symposium on Growing Media, Soilless Cultivation, and Compost Utilization in Horticulture (ISHS)

conference will focus on the following topics:

Growing media and sustainable use of resources
Integrated disease and pest control via interaction with the growing medium
Soilless cultivation: added value of innovations for water and nutrient use efficiency
Compost utilization in horticulture and its potential for carbon storage

ECN & GME policy-related session I 26 August 2021

Key speakers from EU Commission and Industry confirmed!

The European Compost Network (ECN) and Growing Media Europe (GME) aim to organize a session entitled ‘EU Fertilising Products Regulation – Opportunities and Challenges to place Growing Media and Soil Improvers on the European Market’ during the conference ‘GrowingMedia2021 – International Symposium on Growing Media, Soilless Cultivation, and Compost Utilization in Horticulture’.

The workshop will focus on the regulatory framework for the use of compost and digestate as ‘component materials’ for soil improvers and growing media in the framework of the EU fertilising product regulation and how these final products can be placed on the EU market.

We are happy to announce the key speaker and the programme of the session below:

EU Fertilising Products Regulation - Requirements for Growing Media and Soil Improvers based on Compost and Digestate

Jérémy Pinte, DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Unit GROW.F.2 – Bioeconomy, Chemicals and Cosmetics, Policy Officer

Opportunities and challenges for the manufacturers of growing media

Dr. Nele Ameloot, Growing Media Europe, Technical expert

Opportunities and challenges for the manufacturers of soil improver

Dr. Irmgard Leifert, ECN and RETERRA Service GmbH, Technical expert

Conformity assessment procedures for waste derived organic materials under the new EU Fertilising Products Regulation

Wim Vanden Auweele, ECN and Vlaco vzw, Technical expert

The policy session will be closed with a panel debate on the question 'Does the new EU Fertilising Products Regulation really contribute to the EU Circular Economy?'.

For joining the session, please register for GrowingMedia2021 here.

Registration will open on 20th April 2021.

New Date: 23/09/2021 Austria

Austrian Compost & Biogas Association

7th International Practitioners Day for Composting

The 7th International Practitioners Day for Composting will take place on 23rd September 2021 in Langenlois/NÖ (AT) organised by the Austrian Compost & Biogas Associaton.

Further information: https://www.kompost-biogas.info/

Save the Date: 22/09/2021 Vienna (AT)

ECN Annual meeting 2021

At the last Board meeting (03/03/2021) the ECN Board decided to schedule the ECN Annual Meeting 2021 in conjunction with the 7th International Practitioners Day for Composting. Depending on the Covid situation, we are planning to organise the ECN Annual meeting 2021 on 22nd September 2021 in Vienna as a face-to-face meeting. Please save the date!