Glossary: words you will see

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

Annex

An appendix of the regulation with detailed rules.

Authorised representative

A person or company in the EU that the manufacturer appoints in writing to do certain tasks for the manufacturer.

By-products (CMC 11)

By-products under the EU waste rules (Directive 2008/98/EC). You must show with evidence that they meet the criteria.

CE marking

A mark on the packaging. It shows that the manufacturer states that the product follows the EU rules.

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).

Competent national authority

A government body in an EU country that checks if products follow the rules. It is also called a market surveillance authority.

Compost (CMC 3)

Compost made by aerobic composting (composting with air) from listed input materials, for example bio-waste that is collected separately at the source.

Conformity assessment

The process that checks if a product follows the rules.

Derived products (CMC 10)

Derived products under the EU animal by-products rules (Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009). They must have reached the end point in the manufacturing chain and be on a fixed list.

Digestate other than fresh crop digestate (CMC 5)

Digestate made by anaerobic digestion from other listed inputs, for example bio-waste that is collected separately at the source.

Distributor

A company in the supply chain that makes the product available, but is not the manufacturer or the importer.

Dossier

RecyFert's word for the full file for one product. It includes the technical documentation and the declaration of conformity.

Economic operator

A company in the supply chain. This means the manufacturer, the authorised representative, the importer or the distributor.

EU declaration of conformity (DoC)

A signed document in which the manufacturer states that the product follows the rules.

EU fertilising product

A fertilising product that carries the CE marking when it is sold. It can be sold in all EU countries.

Fertiliser (PFC 1)

A product that gives nutrients to plants or mushrooms.

Fertilising product

A material that is put on plants, or on the soil around them, or on mushrooms. It gives them nutrients or helps them use nutrients better.

Fertilising product blend (PFC 7)

A product made by mixing two or more EU fertilising products that already follow the rules.

Food industry by-products (CMC 6)

By-products of the food industry from a fixed list. Examples are food industry factory lime and molasses.

FPR (Fertilising Products Regulation)

The EU law that sets the rules for selling fertilising products with a CE marking in all EU countries. Its full name is Regulation (EU) 2019/1009.

Fresh crop digestate (CMC 4)

Digestate made by anaerobic digestion (digestion without air). The inputs are plants grown for biogas and a few other listed materials.

Gilbert FPR software

The online software in which RecyFert builds your dossier.

Growing medium (PFC 4)

A material, other than soil in place, in which plants or mushrooms grow.

High-nitrogen ammonium nitrate fertiliser

A solid fertiliser based on ammonium nitrate with a high nitrogen content. It has its own route, Module A1.

Importer

A person or company in the EU that brings a product from a country outside the EU onto the EU market.

Inhibitor (PFC 5)

A product that slows down certain microbes or enzymes in the soil. Nutrients are then released more slowly.

Liming material (PFC 2)

A product that corrects soil acidity. It contains oxides, hydroxides, carbonates or silicates of calcium or magnesium.

Manufacturer

The company that makes the product, or has it made, and sells it under its own name or brand.

Member State

A country that is part of the European Union. There are 27.

Micro-organisms (CMC 7)

Micro-organisms from a fixed list that were only dried or freeze-dried. They are used in microbial plant biostimulants (PFC 6(A)).

Module

One of the fixed routes for conformity assessment. The regulation has Module A, Module B followed by Module C, Module D1 and Module A1.

Notified body

An independent organisation that an EU country has approved to check products or quality systems. Some modules need one.

Nutrient polymers (CMC 8)

Polymers made only from nutrient substances, where the purpose is to control how fast the nutrients are released.

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).

Placing on the market

The first time a product is made available in the EU.

Plant biostimulant (PFC 6)

A product that helps plants take up and use nutrients, whatever amount of nutrients the product itself contains.

Plants, plant parts or plant extracts (CMC 2)

Plants, plant parts or plant extracts that had only simple processing, for example cutting, grinding, drying or extraction with water. Here plants include mushrooms and algae.

Polymers other than nutrient polymers (CMC 9)

Polymers that are not nutrient polymers. One example is a coating agent that controls how water enters the nutrient particles.

Precipitated phosphate salts and derivates (CMC 12)

Phosphate salts made by precipitation from listed inputs, for example waste water and sewage sludge from municipal waste water treatment plants. The group also includes products made from these salts.

Pyrolysis and gasification materials (CMC 14)

Materials made by heating listed inputs with limited oxygen.

Quality system

The written rules, checks and records that a company uses to make products of steady quality.

Recovered high purity materials (CMC 15)

Pure materials recovered from other processes: ammonium salt, sulphate salt, phosphate salt, elemental sulphur, calcium carbonate or calcium oxide, or mixtures of them. The purity must be at least 95 % of the dry matter.

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.

Technical documentation

The set of documents that show the product follows the rules. It includes the product description, the materials, the production process, test reports and the label.

Thermal oxidation materials and derivates (CMC 13)

Materials made by heating listed inputs with enough oxygen. The group also includes products made from these materials.

Virgin material substances and mixtures (CMC 1)

Substances and mixtures that are not waste. This group also includes the compounds that slow down nitrification, denitrification or urease. These are called inhibiting compounds.