Ensuring quality fertilization
Technical Committee
Concerned with product stewardship and health, safety and security issues in fertilizer production and distribution.
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ajor activities of the Technical Committee and its work groups in 2015 have covered ETS and climate change, carbon footprinting, safety, fertilizer security, the new Fertilizer Regulation and the Fertilizers Europe Product Stewardship Program.
ETS AND CLIMATE CHANGE The evolution of EU climate change policy is one of the Technical Committee's key priorities. The European Commission's July 2015 legislative proposal for the next phase of the Emissions Trading Scheme 2021-2030 (ETS IV) is now being discussed in the European Parliament and the European Council. The European fertilizer industry is clearly one the sectors at the highest risk of carbon leakage. Our advocacy has
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focused on the specificities of the sector and more precisely on the industry's unavoidable process emissions and very high exposure to leakage. The main aim of Fertilizers Europe members is to avoid application of an undifferentiated cross-sectorial correction factor that would harm the competitiveness of the industry. European industry needs an ETS system that allows for growth and maintains a level playing field. Over the next few years, discussion of the ETS IV proposal will remain a key element of the committee's activities. It is of the greatest importance that our sector receives full protection from carbon leakage. The committee and its task forces will be preparing the arguments and data to defend a sectorial-based approach.
CARBON FOOTPRINTING Our Carbon Footprint Calculator (CFC) for the production of fertilizers is now also available on-line to non-members. The calculator shows that, thanks to the continuous efforts of the industry, EU-made fertilizers have a significantly lower footprint than those from other parts of the world. During 2016, we are working on extending the geographical coverage of the CFC in order to make it the global tool for foot-printing fertilizers. In addition, in cooperation with the International Fertiliser Society, we will be organising a webinar on the use of the CFC and its link to the Cool Farm Tool.