On 16 December, the European Commission presented the long-awaited Food and Feed Safety Omnibus package, aimed at streamlining EU legislation on food and feed safety while maintaining high standards for human, animal and environmental protection. The proposal is part of the Commission’s simplification agenda and the Vision for Agriculture and Food. The package introduces targeted amendments to ten existing regulations covering plant protection products, biocides, feed additives, food hygiene, animal health and welfare, maximum residue levels, and official controls. The Commission claims that the measures could save more than €1 billion in compliance cost together for businesses and national authorities, primarily by reducing administrative and reporting obligations.

A central element of the package concerns plant protection products and pesticide residues. The Commission proposes to simplify and accelerate procedures for market access, particularly for biocontrol and low-risk products, while maintaining existing safety requirements. At the same time, the proposal introduces a more proportionate approach to changes in maximum residue levels, allowing products that complied with previous limits to remain on the market in specific circumstances in order to avoid unnecessary food waste. In line with the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Commission also signals its intention to work towards aligning production standards for imports, including by preventing residues of the most hazardous pesticides banned in the EU from re-entering the EU market, subject to the outcome of an ongoing impact assessment. Health and Animal Welfare Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi described the package as creating “a more efficient and effective agri-food system” while preserving the EU’s high food safety standards.

While the Omnibus does not amend EU fertilizer legislation directly, it has indirect relevance for the fertilizer sector, particularly for producers active in plant biostimulants and integrated crop input solutions. The proposal clarifies the legal boundary between plant protection products and fertilizing products by explicitly excluding substances that stimulate plant nutrition processes or improve tolerance to abiotic stress from the scope of plant protection rules, confirming their treatment under the EU fertilizing products framework. Faster access to biocontrol and low-risk products may also support wider adoption of sustainable input systems, potentially influencing demand for fertilizers compatible with integrated pest management approaches and more sustainable farming models.

Overall, the Food and Feed Safety Omnibus seeks to reduce administrative complexity across the agri-food chain while preserving the EU’s high safety, health and environmental standards. By targeting procedures considered particularly burdensome and clarifying key regulatory boundaries, the Commission aims to support competitiveness, innovation and resilience in the sectors. The final scope and impact of the measures will depend on the outcome of negotiations in the European Parliament and the Council in 2026.

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