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Growing Media Europe

GME

Growing Media Europe represents producers of potting soil and soil improvers in Europe.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Isabella Tovaglieri (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Nov 2025 · Situazione della torba in Europa

Meeting with Jessika Van Leeuwen (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Nov 2025 · Growing Media

Growing Media Europe urges reform of failing fertiliser regulations

16 Sept 2025
Topic — Evaluation of the EU regulation governing the internal market for fertilising products.
Message — GME requests redefining product categories to prevent growing media from being misclassified as complex blends. They urge the Commission to allow self-certification and include common sustainable materials. The industry also calls for simplified labelling and practical safety testing for human pathogens.123
Why — This would reduce administrative expenses and facilitate the marketing of sustainable growing materials.45
Impact — Environmental monitoring groups might oppose replacing strict pathogen limits with weaker action values.67
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Growing Media Europe seeks strategic recognition for sustainable biomass

23 Jun 2025
Topic — The consultation addresses updating the EU Bioeconomy Strategy for a climate-neutral economy.
Message — The industry requests strategic recognition for their role in food security and afforestation. They advocate for simplified legislation and incentives to boost circular biomass production.12
Why — Harmonised rules and simplified procedures would lower compliance costs and secure supplies.34
Impact — Competing sectors in the bioeconomy might face reduced access to shared biomass resources.5
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Meeting with Norbert Lins (Member of the European Parliament)

9 Apr 2025 · Kultursubstrate im Gartenbau

Response to Amendment of conformity assessment procedures for EU fertilising products

17 Mar 2025

Dear Commission, On behalf of our members, we would like to provide input on the questions regarding Module D1, specifically related to quality assurance and its impact on our sector. In the growing media sector, companies follow various quality assurance systems, including RHP, ISO9001, and RAL (issued by GGS). These systems cover the entire production process, ensuring that growing media meet the required quality standards, similar to module D1. Our members strongly support decoupling the audit frequency from the sampling frequency. They consider the following audit frequency to be appropriate: initially one audit per year, followed by one audit every three years. Regarding sampling frequency, most growing media producers take samples from all their production batches. However, not all samples are analyzed, but they are kept in a designated location, allowing us to analyze them if necessary. Instead, an analysis frequency plan is typically developed in collaboration with the auditor to ensure comprehensive monitoring of the production process. We would encourage the same methodology in the framework of FPR. At present, Module D1 is too burdensome and expensive for SMEs. The cost and complexity of compliance create significant challenges for smaller companies, potentially limiting their market access. A more proportionate approach is needed to ensure quality while maintaining feasibility for all industry players. We appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback and remain available for further discussion.
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Meeting with Sander Smit (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Nov 2024 · Growing Media

Response to Aligning the biodegradability criteria for polymers in EU fertiliisng products to the REACH restriciton on microplastics

4 Apr 2024

Growing Media Europe hereby submits a position paper regarding the European Commission's proposed Delegated Act on the Fertilising Product Regulation. Please find attached the paper, it details our association's perspective on the biodegradability criteria for polymers used in fertilising products and discusses the implications for both mineral and organic growing media. Our comments focus on clarifying the regulatory language and ensuring the criteria are appropriately applied to support environmental objectives without impeding industry practices. The document aims to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on sustainable practices within the fertilising product sector, emphasizing the need for clear and effective regulatory standards.
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Meeting with Annie Schreijer-Pierik (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Nov 2023 · Digital labelling fertilisers

Meeting with Martin Hojsík (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and European Environmental Bureau and

28 Sept 2023 · Soil Health Law

Meeting with Tom Vandenkendelaere (Member of the European Parliament)

27 Jun 2023 · responsible peat production; nature restoration law

Meeting with Annie Schreijer-Pierik (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Mar 2023 · Natuurherstelwet

Meeting with Jutta Paulus (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and WWF European Policy Programme

6 Dec 2022 · Nature Restoration Law

Growing Media Europe offers expertise for EU nature restoration

17 Aug 2022
Topic — The EU is proposing legally binding targets to restore damaged ecosystems across Europe.
Message — The organization positions its industry as an essential partner for urban greening and large-scale afforestation. They offer their practical expertise to help the EU meet ambitious peatland restoration targets.12
Why — The industry secures continued demand for its products by framing them as vital restoration tools.3
Impact — Environmental groups may lose if this partnership facilitates the continued extraction of natural peat.4
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Response to Soil Health Law – protecting, sustainably managing and restoring EU soils

16 Mar 2022

Growing Media Europe AISBL contribution to call for evidence on EU Soil Health Law As the sector producing growing media and soil improvers, we can only stress the fact that EU soil is an essential and limited natural resource that needs protection and proper management. When sourcing our important raw material peat, we are aware of our responsibility and committed to our role as champions of peatland restoration. Our industry cares about its wetlands and strives for their long-term well-being. That is why we are continuously pushing to achieve restoration targets for degraded peatlands by broadly implementing the principles of “Responsibly Produced Peat” (RPP). RPP manifests that peat is extracted only from already degraded sources with no extraordinary natural value and High Conservation Value areas are left untouched. After extraction, a meticulous restoration plan is implemented turning former production fields into thriving ecosystems with a net positive ecological impact. Once applied in horticulture, our products help to protect EU soil in two different ways: 1. We reduce pressure on arable land by shifting agricultural production, inter alia, to greenhouses and urban farms while increasing resource efficiency. Contributing to decrease the environmental footprint of ever-growing urban areas. 2. We increase organic matters in soils by protecting soil from dehydration, increase soil carbon content and stimulate soil organisms.
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Response to Technical amendments to the Fertilising Products Regulation

9 Mar 2022

Growing Media Europe is the international non-profit organisation representing the producers of growing media and soil improvers at European level. We promote optimum legislation for the manufacturing as well as the free and fair trade of growing media within Europe. That is why we support the Fertilizing product regulation 2019/1009 (FPR). FPR ensures safe and local fertilizers and growing media to be placed on the European market, which is extremely timely in the light of the recent geopolitical evolutions and will form the basis for a strong European agricultural position. We support all technical amendments, published in February 2022 as these will help to improve the consistency with other legal acts, to facilitate access to the free market, and to avoid pollution. In particular, we find the postponement of the requirement for an extended REACH registration for polymers a reasonable and pragmatic approach. GME is looking forward to collaborating with the European Commission on the methodologies for solubility and biodegradability of polymers.
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Meeting with Seán Kelly (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Aug 2021 · Fit for 55 Package

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

28 Apr 2021 · Raw materials and sustainable food production.

Response to Agriculture - List of products and substances authorised in organic production

23 Apr 2021

Growing Media Europe AISBL (GME) is an international non-profit organisation representing the producers of growing media and soil improvers at European level. We welcome the implementing act on Organic farming - list of products & substances authorised in organic production. Many of our products such as soil conditioners, mulches and growing media are brought on the market for use in organic production. The current implementing act allows the use of the Annex II prescribed products, under the condition that they are compliant with the EU 2019/1009 Regulation. This Regulation is however optional. Member States will still have their own regulations in place for putting fertilising products on the national markets. Producers therefore have the choice to either market their products CE-marked or under the national regulations. Therefore we ask the Commission to allow products that are either compliant with the relevant national legislation on fertilising products or with the harmonised Regulation 2019/1009 on fertilising products. Also some products on the Annex list, such as mushroom culture wastes, have no status within the EU 2019/1009 Regulation and could thus not comply with the Fertilising Products Regulation, therefore – although on the Annex list – they would not be allowed for use in organic production. The Annex II lists some examples of products and by-products of plant origin for fertilizers. Some natural plant products are however not on this example list. We therefore ask to include plant fibers, coir products and rice husks. In parallel to the 2019/1009 CMC 1 provisions, we would also appreciate to include products exempted from EU 1907/2006 Annex V (points 6, 7, 8 and 9). Typically for GME products this would include clay, sand, volcanic minerals or soil products. GME also calls for the procedure used for the inclusion of new materials in the positive list in Annex II to be as smooth and rapid as possible to ensure that organic farmers are able to access the tools they need.
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Response to Technical amendments to the annexes to the Fertilising Products Regulation

16 Mar 2021

Growing Media Europe(GME) is the European association of producers of growing media and soil improver. The Fertilising Product Regulation (FPR) is the only European legislation that will regulate our products on European level. The FPR and the respective Delegated Regulation are thus of crucial importance to the growing media producers in Europe and will shape the future of our sector. We highly appreciate the opportunity to give our view on the technical update and kindly ask the Commission to consider the arguments explained in the uploaded document. If unchanged, the FPR will in fact create enormous hurdles for the producers of growing media, risking to exclude the majority of growing media and soil improvers from its scope. Please see the uploaded evaluation for further information.
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Response to Contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security

13 Jan 2021

Growing Media Europe AISBL (GME) is a non-profit association representing the producers of growing media and soil improvers on European level. Growing media are essential in society as they contribute (on a strongly increasing level) to growing food and to greening urban areas (trees, flowers, parks etc.). Growing in growing media in a controlled environment (e.g. a greenhouse) is a highly sustainable way of producing plants: as less fertilisers, pesticides and water are needed to harvest the same yield, growing media contribute to the objective of „producing more with less“. GME welcomes the Commission´s aim to develop a contingency plan to increase food security in the EU. The risk of disruptions in the trade and movement of goods that are essential to public food supply should be minimized as far as possible. During the Covid-19 crisis, the European growing media sector has proven the high resilience of its supply chains. Despite some disruptions due to national border controls and quarantine measures for truck drivers, the continuity of the movements of goods that are vital to the food supply chain was ensured. Growing media are indispensable for big scale production of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and edible mushrooms as the majority of these crops start their life cycle as young plants in growing media. Interruptions leading to delays at cross border transport both inside the EU and for third country export are risking to leave vegetable nurseries in Europe and throughout the world unable to produce. Ensuring timely supply of growing media to professional growers is crucial for providing EU citizens with healthy food, not only but also throughout crisis times. We thus ask the responsible European and national authorities to ensure that the most important raw materials for growing media (peat, coir, bark, mineral wool, compost and liming products) are included in the highest priority prodcut group ("essential goods").
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Response to EU Forest Strategy

4 Dec 2020

Growing Media Europe AISBL (GME) is a non-profit association representing the producers of growing media and soil improvers on European level. Growing media are essential in society as they contribute (on a strongly increasing level) to growing food and to greening urban areas (trees, flowers, parks etc.). Growing in growing media in a controlled environment (e.g. a greenhouse) is a highly sustainable way of producing plants: as less fertilisers, pesticides and water are needed to harvest the same yield, growing media contribute to the objective of „producing more with less“. In addition, a reduced land-use footprint is achieved and plants grown in growing media have demonstrated to be more resilient, developing less soil-borne diseases improving food safety and decreasing food waste in Europe. The EU Forestry Regulation is a key file for our sector due to the simple yet widely unknown fact that tree seedlings in tree nurseries are grown in growing media. Big-scale afforestation with the aim to support the EU´s climate, biodiversity and circular bioeconomy objectives is in fact enabled by growing media: fit-for-purpose growing media provide the ideal basis for young trees (seedlings) to grow in, giving them optimum “starting conditions” before they are planted in the soil at a later stage of their lives. The growing media sector is happy to continue its vital role for afforestation with regards to the objectives of planting 3 billion trees by 2030 and as GME, we look forward to assisting the Commission in the best way possible.
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Response to Protecting biodiversity: nature restoration targets

2 Dec 2020

Growing Media Europe AISBL (GME) is a non-profit association representing the producers of growing media and soil improvers on European level. Growing media are essential in society as they contribute (on a strongly increasing level) to growing food and to greening our living spaces (trees and ornamentals). Growing in growing media in a controlled environment (e.g. a greenhouse) is a highly sustainable way of producing plants: as less fertilisers, pesticides and water are needed to harvest the same yield, growing media contribute to the objective of „producing more with less“. Growing media help boosting biodiversity as they enable large-scale afforestation (young trees are grown in growing media) and are vital when it comes to greening up our cities (e.g. parks, green walls, rooftop gardens) as well as private gardens or balconies. The EU Restoration Targets are key for our sector as peat is our most important raw material and the restoration of peat bogs after the peat harvest is part of our daily business. Peat is by far the most important constituent of (organic) growing media and the backbone of growing media production in Europe. The growing media sector is highly aware of the value that untouched wetlands have for biodiversity and as the European voice of this sector, we strongly promoting the well established peat certification system RPP « Responsibly Produced Peat ». We believe, that responsible peat harvesting can actually help achieving restoration targets for degraded peatlands if the obligatory RPP principles are followed : • Only previously degraded peat bogs are used for peat harvesting  peat is extracted only from sources without high natural value (High Conservation Value ares are left untouched) • The restoration of the peat bogs is carried out in the best way possible : An after-use plan has to be implemented to turn production fields into areas with a positive ecological impact, maximising environmental benefits (including climate mitigation) • During production, mitigation measures are taken where necessary to prevent impact on areas with High conservation value. In the upcoming policy proposals on EU Restoration Targets, we believe it is of great importance to recognize the vital role of the growing media industry with regards to the management of wetlands (peat bogs). It is the industry that has the knowledge, machinery and resources to restore degraded peatlands in the best possible way and that can hence support governements and local authorities in large-scale rewetting and restoration. We consider it important to point out, that the majority of harvested peatlands are peatlands that have been previously drained/degraded for purposes other than peat harvesting The global demand for growing media (peat based and non-peat based) is sharply rising. The members of GME are committed to answering this demand in the most sustainable way possible, promoting industry practices and standards like RPP that lower the environmental impacts linked to the manufacturing of growing media.
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Response to Land use, land use change and forestry – review of EU rules

26 Nov 2020

Growing Media Europe AISBL (GME) is a non-profit association representing the producers of growing media and soil improvers on European level. Growing media are essential in society as they contribute (on a strongly increasing level) to growing food and to greening urban areas (trees, flowers, parks etc.). Growing in growing media in a controlled environment (e.g. a greenhouse) is a highly sustainable way of producing plants: as less fertilisers, pesticides and water are needed to harvest the same yield, growing media contribute to the objective of „producing more with less“. In addition, a reduced land-use footprint is achieved and plants grown in growing media have demonstrated to be more resilient, developing less soil-borne diseases improving food safety and decreasing food waste in Europe. The LULUCF Regulation is a key file for our sector due to the link to peat extraction and peatland renaturation (emissions and removals from managed wetlands). Peat is by far the most important constituent of (organic) growing media and the backbone of growing media production in Europe. Our sector is well aware of its responsibility towards reducing carbon emissions from peat extraction and has recently launched the development of an LCA methodology according to the PEFCR, that (next to other factors) compares carbon emissions of the different constituents used to produce growing media. While highly committed to reducing our carbon as well as overall environmental footprint as an industry, we also would like to point out that : - Only 0,05% of the globally existing peatlands are actually used for peat extraction ; the vast majority of peatlands are used for agriculture - The majority of harvested peatlands are peatlands that have been previously drained/degraded for different purposes - All harvested peatlands in Europe are subject of an after-use strategy - After restoration, peat bogs can become net CO2 sinks, depending on the type of after-use (LIFEREstore 2019) - Horticultural peat is used to grow plants, which lead to carbon storage With regards to responsible peat extraction, GME is strongly promoting the well established peat certification system RPP « Responsibly Produced Peat ». Via RPP, it is ensured that : - Only previously degraded peat bogs are used for peat extraction - The restoration of the peat bogs is carried out in the best way possible - Restored peat bogs can eventually turn into a carbon sink again - During production, mitigation measures are taken where necessary to prevent impact on areas with High conservation value. The demand for growing media is rising sharply and can only be answered by increasing the volumes of all available growing media constituents, including peat. Despite intense efforts in industry and science since several years, no material has yet been found that could replace peat both in quantity AND quality. Wood fibre, coconut coir, green compost and bark have their due place in formulating growing media and more of these materials – in addition to peat - – will be needed to answer the increasing demand. The members of GME are committed to answering this demand in the most sustainable way possible, with strong focus the sustainable sourcing of peat, lowering the carbon emissions related to peat extraction and restoring former peat extraction sites in a way that eventually turns them into carbon sinks again. Any future legislative measures intended to regulate the extraction of peat from already degraded peat bogs should take into account that restoration of degraded peat bogs is the key to lowering carbone missions from those sites and is enabled to a great extent by the growing media industry. GME looks forward to assisting the Commission in the best way possible.
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Response to Action plan for the development of EU organic production

23 Oct 2020

Growing Media Europe AISBL (GME) is a non-profit industry association representing the producers of growing media and soil improvers on European level. Europe is the global leader in growing media production (40 Mm3/yr). Growing media are essential in society, used on a strongly increasing level to grow food and green up urban areas (trees, flowers, parks etc.). Growing plants in growing media in a protected environment (greenhouse) is called « Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH) » or “Protected Cropping”. This innovative way of producing plants helps to solve the main challenges in today´s horticulture due to following advantages: weather conditions have lower or no impact; less fertilizers, pesticides and water are needed to harvest the same yield, a reduced land-use footprint is achieved, less labor is required and labor conditions are better and plants are more resilient thus developing less soil-borne diseases. It is not surprising that the global demand for growing media is sharply rising and that growers switch from an open-field production to Protected Cropping. Growing in growing media is, next to conventional and organic agriculture, an integral part of the solution to the biggest challenges our food system is facing: - Growing media make it possible to produce more food while using less resources and less or no arable land - Local production closer to consumption (greenhouses close to/inside cities) → less transport and more resilient supply chains - Plants grow more controlled → less plant diseases → safer food and less food waste - Less use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers; instead, the use of biostimulants that are mixed into the growing medium has proven to be a promising innovation in modern horticulture and biocontrol using insects is more effective when growing in growing media. Representing this highly sustainable way of growing plants, we consider the existing general principle of excluding plants grown in growing media ("demarcated beds") from the scope of organic production rather incomprehensible. The general requirements of the plant production rules state that organic production should be based on nourishing the plants primarily through the soil ecosystem and be soil-related, and that growing plants in ‘demarcated beds’ should not be allowed. We in particular do not follow the reasoning behind the existing derogations from this principle for young plants (seedlings) as well as herbs and ornamentals grown in pots. In several Member States, climate conditions are not supporting the growing of several types of fruits and vegetables in open field horticulture. These countries will effectively depend on imports for organic fruits and vegetables (after the transition phase ends in 2030). The organic sector needs a well-balanced and reliable legislative framework that is based on scientific evidence and supports the best available growing techniques, providing environmental, social and economic benefits.
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Response to Farm to Fork Strategy

16 Mar 2020

Growing Media Europe AISBL (GME) is a non-profit industry association representing the producers of growing media and soil improvers on European level. Europe is the global leader in growing media production (40 Mm3/yr). Growing media are essential in society, used on a strongly increasing level to grow food and green up urban areas (trees, flowers, parks etc). Growing plants in growing media in a protected environment (greenhouse) is called « Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH) » or “Protected Cropping”. This innovative way of producing plants helps to solve the main challenges in today´s horticulture due to following advantages: weather conditions have lower or no impact; less fertilisers, pesticides and water are needed to harvest the same yield, a reduced land-use footprint is achieved, less labour is required and labour conditions are better and plants are more resilient thus developing less soil-borne diseases. It is not surprising that the global demand for growing media is sharply rising and that growers switch from an open-field production to Protected Cropping. The members of GME are committed to answer this demand in the most sustainable way possible, promoting industry practices that lower the environmental impacts linked to the manufacturing and use of growing media. GME is currently developing an LCA methodology according to the PEFCR, which compares the environmental footprint of the different types of growing media produced today with the intention to monitor and reduce the impact on environment. With regards to the announced Farm to Fork Strategy, our sector considers itself a key player in the shift towards more sustainable food production. Next to conventional agriculture and organic production, Protected Cropping is the 3rd pillar and part of the solution to several challenges our food system is facing: 1) Ensure sustainable primary production: growing media make it possible to produce more food while using less resources and less or no arable land; growing fresh produce in Protected Cropping is a huge trend that has several positive impacts: - "local for local": production can take place closer to consumption (greenhouses close to/inside cities) -->less transport and more resilient supply chains - production is more controlled --> less plant diseases --> safer food and less food waste 2) Reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides and fertilizers: When growing plants in growing media, less fertilisers and less chemical pesticides are used; instead, the use of biostimulants that are mixed into the growing medium has proven to be a promising innovation in modern horticulture. Biocontrol using insects is more effective when growing in growing media. 3) Reduce food loss and waste via: - Local production thus shorter supply chains - Produce from healthier plants --> longer shelf-life - Herbs or lettuce grown in growing media and sold with the pot have a longer shelf-life compared to cut herbs/lettuce 4) Promote sustainable food consumption, facilitating the shift towards healthy diets: growing media are used to produce fruits and vegetables, most integral part of any healthy diet; producing closer to the consumer (e.g. inside the cities) can help educate consumers about healthy, seasonal and locally grown food. Our members will continue to enable and actively promote these positive developments by providing fit for purpose, sustainable and safe growing media to the horticultural sector. Growing media are essential for producing more fruits and vegetables while using less resources and less arable land. Any future legislative measures intended to achieve the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy should therefore take the whole production chain and thus our sector into account. GME is willing and prepared to be part of the announced stakeholder consultation and looks forward to assisting the Commission in any way possible.
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Response to Climate Law

6 Feb 2020

Growing Media Europe (AISBL GME) is a non-profit industry association representing the producers of growing media and soil improvers on European level. Europe is the global leader in growing media production (40 Mm3/yr). Growing media are essential in society as they contribute (on a strongly increasing level) to growing food and to greening urban areas (trees, flowers, parks etc.). Growing plants in growing media ("out of the soil") helps solving the main challenges in today´s horticulture due to following advantages: weather conditions have lower impact, less fertilisers, pesticides and water are needed, a reduced land-use footprint is achieved, less labor is required, the plants are more resilient developing less soil-borne diseases. It is thus not surprising that the global demand for growing media is sharply rising. The members of GME are committed to answering this demand in the most sustainable way possible, promoting industry practices that lower the environmental impacts linked to the manufacturing of growing media, including carbon emissions. GME is currently developing a LCA methodology according to the PEFCR, that (next to other factors) compares carbon emissions of the different materials used to produce growing media. With regards to the announced EU Climate Law, we are as a sector prepared to contribute actively to the emission reduction objectives. We however feel it important to point our that our sector already enables an important shift to a more sustainable horticulture and thus already contributes to lower carbon emissions from food production as well as from the production of ornamental flowers. Growing media are essential for big-scale afforestation, for greener cities and for producing more fruits and vegetables while using less resources (water, fertilisers, pesticides) and less arable land. Any future legislative measures intended to regulate our sector with regards to emission reduction goals should therefore take the whole production chain into account, focusing on the benefits/impacts of the end product instead of the single constituents used for growing media production. GME is prepared to be part of any stakeholder consultation taking place in the framework of the legislative procedure and looks forward to assisting the Commission in the best way possible.
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Response to Amendment of the import and internal movement requirements of harmful organisms of plants

27 Nov 2018

Representing the growing media industry on European level, Growing Media Europe AISBL ( www.growing-media.eu ) is highly alerted by the proposed draft implementing act regarding the import of coir into the EU. As an industry, we very much welcome the fact, that coir will officially be included in the directive 2000/29/EC. This will create a legal framework for the import in the EU of coir, a main constituent in the production of growing media, thus closing the loophole and eliminating the currently existing legal uncertainty . With regards to the potential implementation of additional quality and/or phytosanitary controls on the import of coir, the European growing media producers, including all Growing Media Europe members, are self-evidently in favor of any safety measures that can effectively reduce the risk of importing and/or spreading plant diseases or contaminants. However, we consider the proposed additional legal requirements for the import of coir misleading and even threatening to both our sector as well as to the horticultural sector. The Growing Media Europe members RHP ( www.rhp.nl ) and GGS ( www.substrate-ev.org ) - the two biggest quality assurance organisations in the EU - have both developed quality standards for coir, which are widely used within the European growing media sector. As there is no track record of phytosanitary contamination of coir imported into the EU, imposing the burden of obligatory import inspections, seems incomprehensible and unjustified. From a practical point of view, it is entirely unclear how the inspection is supposed to help detect or decrease any risks for plant health, human health or the environment. It is also unclear, how the inspector will actually sample and inspect the coir. Simple visual examination will not suffice to detect contaminants and eventual laboratory tests would be both too time and cost intense for the growing media producer to be taken into consideration. Consequently, the import of coir products into the EU would drastically decrease. The suggested amendments to the import rules for coir would have a tremendously negative impact on the supply of the EU horticultural sector with coir based growing media. After all, the demand for coir products used in horticulture is rising. In fact, coir products have become besides peat one of the most important constituents for growing media during the last few years.
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Meeting with Peter Power (Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan)

26 Jun 2015 · single market harmonisation in view of the importance of horticulture