The European Commission has taken a key step toward changing how fields are fertilized in the European Union by officially approving new rules for RENURE fertilizers, that is, nitrogen recovered from manure. With this reform, Brussels is opening the door for treated manure to play a much more significant role as a substitute for traditional mineral fertilizers.
These new rules allow RENURE fertilizers to be applied above the usual limits set for manure and processed manure in the current Nitrates Directive, provided that strict water and environmental protection conditions are met. The underlying objective is threefold: to offer farmers a real alternative to chemical fertilizers, to reduce dependence on imports , and to strengthen the strategic autonomy of the European agricultural sector.
What are RENURE fertilizers and why are they gaining prominence?
RENURE fertilizers are products obtained from processed manure from which nitrogen has been recovered . This is not raw manure applied directly to the field, but rather materials that have undergone treatments to concentrate and stabilize the nutrients, especially nitrogen, so that they can compete effectively with mineral fertilizers.
In practice, this means that livestock farmers and crop farmers can make better use of livestock waste , transforming it into an agricultural input with more predictable agronomic value and stricter environmental controls. This approach aligns perfectly with the EU's commitment to the circular economy and organic farming , by converting a potentially problematic waste product into a useful resource.
Until now, the use of these products was heavily regulated by the Nitrates Directive , which limits the amount of nitrogen from manure and processed manure that can be applied per hectare. The new RENURE-specific rules introduce a controlled exception, giving Member States and farmers more flexibility.
Brussels believes this approach eases regulatory pressure on those investing in advanced manure treatments without compromising environmental protection. It rewards the use of technologies that reduce emissions, improve nutrient management, and enhance ecosystem services in agriculture , rather than maintaining the same regulatory treatment as unprocessed manure.
Changes to the Nitrates Directive: a controlled exception for RENURE
The core of the reform lies in the specific amendment to the Nitrates Directive , the European regulation that has governed the application of nitrogen from agricultural sources for decades to protect water quality. The new provision allows RENURE fertilizers to exceed the general limit set for manure and processed manure, but only under clear and verifiable conditions.
Specifically, Member States that choose to apply these new rules may authorize higher doses of RENURE nitrogen compared to what is currently permitted for conventional manure, provided that monitoring systems demonstrate that the risk of contamination of aquifers, rivers, or lakes is not increased. The philosophy is simple: if manure treatment allows for safer nitrogen management, differentiated treatment is justified.
The reform is not automatically imposed on all EU countries. The Commission emphasizes that the amendment will only apply in Member States that decide to authorize the use of RENURE under this new framework. Each national government will therefore have to assess whether it wishes to adopt this option and, if so, transpose the amendment into its own legal system.
The regulation also establishes that, despite the increased application margin, RENURE fertilizers must be used following fertilization plans , good agricultural practices and soil controls such as measuring soil pH , so that excess nitrogen is not produced in the soil and the environmental objectives already set in European legislation are not compromised.
Approval process: support from States and absence of vetoes
The path to this decision has been developing over the last few months. The Commission's proposal was put to a vote by the representatives of the Member States in the Nitrates Committee on September 19, 2025. At that meeting, the countries gave their approval to the idea of ​​making the use of RENURE more flexible within the framework of the Nitrates Directive.
After passing this initial technical and political hurdle, the draft was sent to the European Parliament and the Council for the corresponding review period. This procedure allows both institutions to examine the proposal and, if necessary, raise objections. Ultimately, neither the Parliament nor the Council registered any opposition to the amendment, allowing the text to proceed without the need to reopen negotiations.
With the monitoring period now complete, the European Commission has been able to formally adopt the new RENURE fertilizer rules . The amendment to the Nitrates Directive will enter into force twenty days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, the necessary legal step for the measure to take effect.
From that point on, each member state will have to decide whether or not to incorporate this possibility into its own nutrient management system. In any case, Brussels insists that the reform has been designed to maintain the current level of water protection , without jeopardizing the quality objectives already committed to.
Objectives: less external dependence and greater agricultural competitiveness
One of the most significant aspects of the decision is its strategic dimension. The European Commission believes that using nitrogen recovered from manure can considerably reduce dependence on imported fertilizers , a factor that has become especially relevant following recent price and supply crises in international markets.
By allowing RENURE fertilizers to replace a portion of chemical fertilizers, farmers are expected to have a more stable and predictable internal source of nutrients . This substitution has not only economic but also geopolitical implications, as it reduces the European agricultural sector's reliance on external suppliers.
The Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, emphasized that with this reform, Europe "gives value to waste" and strengthens its strategic autonomy while maintaining the protection of water and the natural environment. This approach aligns with the circular economy strategy and efforts to make more efficient use of resources already available within the EU.
From an economic perspective, the Commission maintains that expanding the use of RENURE can help reduce agricultural production costs , especially on farms most dependent on mineral fertilizers. If products derived from processed manure are consistently integrated into fertilization plans, the impact on farm accounts could be significant.
Impact on European farmers and Spain's role
For EU farmers, the new regulations open the door to a wider range of fertilization options . In countries that choose to implement the reform, producers will be able to cover part of their crops' nitrogen needs with RENURE fertilizers, exceeding the limits previously imposed on livestock products by the Nitrates Directive.
This possibility is especially relevant for regions with a high concentration of livestock , where manure management poses an environmental and logistical challenge. Converting this waste into RENURE fertilizers with appropriate treatment can help alleviate pressure on areas vulnerable to nitrate pollution and provide an additional input for farms.
Spain is among the countries that specifically requested the European Commission to present a proposal to facilitate the use of these products as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. For the Spanish agricultural sector, the measure is seen as an opportunity to make better use of available resources on livestock farms and, at the same time, reduce the cost associated with purchasing mineral fertilizers.
However, for the reform to have practical effects in Spain, the Government will need to adapt national legislation and integrate the new RENURE framework into domestic regulations . This will involve defining specific conditions of use, control systems, and potential technical requirements for manure treatment plants that wish to produce fertilizers under this category.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of the measure will depend on how these changes are implemented on the ground and to what extent farmers decide to incorporate recovered nitrogen into their fertilization strategies as a partial replacement for conventional fertilizers.
With the approval of the new RENURE fertilizer rules, the European Union is reinforcing its commitment to a more circular agriculture, less dependent on external inputs and with greater use of its own resources, while maintaining water protection as a non-negotiable red line and offering countries like Spain regulatory leeway to promote alternatives to traditional chemical fertilizers.
