Registration of fertiliser traded or used in Flanders.

Draft Decree of the Flemish Government amending the Flemish Environmental Permits Regulation (VLAREME) of 28 October 2016 on the declaration and the register for fertilisers and fertilisation

Flemish legislation on manure (Manure Decree of 22 December 2006 and the Flemish Environmental Permits Regulation (VLAREME) of 28 October 2016) has for more than ten years included an obligation for traders who place fertiliser on the Flemish market to keep a register of the fertiliser they produce in Flanders, distribute in Flanders, import into Flanders or export from Flanders. The introduction of the sixth Manure Action Plan under the Nitrates Directive (hereafter MAP 6), also introduced a registration obligation for the monitoring of fertiliser use by farmers. In addition, it was stipulated that both the register of fertiliser traders and that of farmers must be kept in digital form. The present Decree contains further elaboration thereof.

On the one hand, the present draft Decree contains the data that farmers must record concerning the amount of fertiliser they receive or use.

On the other hand, for both the (new) register of farmers and the (existing) register of fertiliser traders, it is clarified how the register is to be completed. For this purpose, the draft Decree states that the keeping of the register must be done via the Internet counter made available by the administration concerned (i.e. the Manure Bank, department of the Flemish Land Agency). This Internet counter, the ‘Mestbankloket’ [Manure Bank Counter], already exists and will be expanded to include a module in which those involved can enter the register data. The present draft Decree also contains the period within which the register must be completed.