G/TBT/N/EU/1051  
7 March 2024  
(24-2122) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
European Commission  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
European Comm ission,  
EU-TBT Enquiry Point,  
Fax: +(32) 2 299 80 43,  
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/en/  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  fertilising 
products  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft 
Commission  Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council as regards the inclusion of mulch films in Component 
Material Category 9; (5 page(s), in English), (5 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  The delegated Regulation introduces mulch films within the 
scope of the EU harmonisation rules and sets out the biodegradability criteria and the 
testing methods which have to be used to show compliance with such criteria. The 
biodegradability criteria cover  the biodegradation both in soil and in aquatic 
environments.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The objectives are both to facilitate the free movement in the internal market 
of such products and to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the 
environment. By laying down biodegradability requirements for mulch films, the 
accumulation of plastic in the environment is avoided; Protection of human health or 
safety; Protection of the environm ent G/TBT/N/EU/1051  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:  Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of 
the Council of 5 June 2019 laying down rules on the making available on the market of 
EU fertilising products available here:  
https://eur -lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1009/oj  
Study to assess biodegradability criteria for polymers used in EU fertilising products as 
coating agents or to inc rease the water retention capacity or wettability and of mulch 
films, available here: Circabc (europa.eu)  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  July 2024  
Proposed date of entry into force:  20 days from publication in the Official Journal of 
the EU  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
European Commission,  
EU-TBT Enquiry Point,  
Fax: + (32) 2 299 80 43,  
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the EU -TBT Website : http://ec.europa.eu/growth/to ols-
databases/tbt/en/  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/EEC/24_01915_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/EEC/24_01915_01_e.pdf