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What are CMC and PFC?

Last reviewed 5 October 2026. Source: Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, consolidated text of 1 July 2026.

In simple words

The regulation puts products in groups in two ways. A PFC (product function category) says what the product does, for example fertiliser or plant biostimulant. A CMC (component material category) says what the product is made from, for example compost or micro-organisms. Together they decide which rules and which module apply.

Words in this article

CMC (component material category)
A group of materials a product can be made from. There are 15 groups: virgin material substances and mixtures (CMC 1), plants, plant parts or plant extracts (CMC 2), compost (CMC 3), fresh crop digestate (CMC 4), digestate other than fresh crop digestate (CMC 5), food industry by-products (CMC 6), micro-organisms (CMC 7), nutrient polymers (CMC 8), polymers other than nutrient polymers (CMC 9), derived products (CMC 10), by-products (CMC 11), precipitated phosphate salts and derivates (CMC 12), thermal oxidation materials and derivates (CMC 13), pyrolysis and gasification materials (CMC 14) and recovered high purity materials (CMC 15).
PFC (product function category)
A group that says what the product does. There are 7 groups: fertiliser (PFC 1), liming material (PFC 2), soil improver (PFC 3), growing medium (PFC 4), inhibitor (PFC 5), plant biostimulant (PFC 6) and fertilising product blend (PFC 7).
Fertiliser (PFC 1)
A product that gives nutrients to plants or mushrooms.
Liming material (PFC 2)
A product that corrects soil acidity. It contains oxides, hydroxides, carbonates or silicates of calcium or magnesium.
Soil improver (PFC 3)
A product that maintains, improves or protects the physical or chemical properties, the structure or the biological activity of the soil.
Growing medium (PFC 4)
A material, other than soil in place, in which plants or mushrooms grow.
Inhibitor (PFC 5)
A product that slows down certain microbes or enzymes in the soil. Nutrients are then released more slowly.
Plant biostimulant (PFC 6)
A product that helps plants take up and use nutrients, whatever amount of nutrients the product itself contains.
Fertilising product blend (PFC 7)
A product made by mixing two or more EU fertilising products that already follow the rules.
Annex
An appendix of the regulation with detailed rules.

The 7 PFCs: what the product does

  1. Fertiliser
  2. Liming material
  3. Soil improver
  4. Growing medium
  5. Inhibitor
  6. Plant biostimulant
  7. Fertilising product blend

Fertilisers have sub-groups, for example organic, organo-mineral and inorganic fertilisers. A blend (PFC 7) is a mix of two or more products from PFC 1 to PFC 6. Each of these products must already follow the rules.

The 15 CMCs: what the product is made from

  1. Virgin material substances and mixtures
  2. Plants, plant parts or plant extracts
  3. Compost
  4. Fresh crop digestate
  5. Digestate other than fresh crop digestate
  6. Food industry by-products
  7. Micro-organisms
  8. Nutrient polymers
  9. Polymers other than nutrient polymers
  10. Derived products (animal by-products rules, Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009)
  11. By-products (waste rules, Directive 2008/98/EC)
  12. Precipitated phosphate salts and derivates
  13. Thermal oxidation materials and derivates
  14. Pyrolysis and gasification materials
  15. Recovered high purity materials

Why do they matter for your dossier?

In the technical documentation you must write the PFC that fits your product. You must also list every material, and the CMC that each material belongs to. The module you may use depends on these groups (Annex IV, Part I).

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