FprEN 18298

FprEN 18298 is a draft European Standard from CEN for fertilizing products. It specifies analytical methods for determining selected elements and parameters in by-products, thermal oxidation materials and derivates, and recovered high-purity materials when they are used as components of fertilizing products.

The document is aimed at laboratories, manufacturers, and conformity assessment users who need to check whether these component materials meet the relevant requirements for EU fertilising products.

What does FprEN 18298 specify?

FprEN 18298 covers the analysis of component materials used in fertilizing products, with a focus on a small set of elements and parameters that matter for compliance checks. It organizes this guidance into clauses on sampling, specific elements, specific parameters, and an informative annex linking the standard to EU law.

The scope is limited to by-products, thermal oxidation materials and derivates, and recovered high-purity materials when they are used as components of fertilizing products. For by-products, the document covers total iron, zinc, copper, cobalt, manganese, dry matter, and total organic carbon. For thermal oxidation materials and derivates, it covers dry matter. For recovered high-purity materials, it covers dry matter and total organic carbon.

What are the key requirements of FprEN 18298?

FprEN 18298 mainly tells the user which analytical method to apply for each component material and property. In practice, the document is a method-selection standard: it points the reader to the test procedure to use rather than setting out a new laboratory method of its own.

Sampling and sample preparation

Clause 4 states that sampling and sample preparation are crucial for validity, but they are not part of this document. When the referenced methods require preparation steps, those instructions must be taken from the relevant method standard. For laboratories, this means the sample has to be representative before any measurement starts.

Determination of specific elements in by-products

Clauses 5.1 to 5.5 cover total iron, zinc, copper, cobalt, and manganese in by-products. Each of these is determined in accordance with prEN 17768:2026 and prEN 17770:2026. In practice, the standard ties these metal determinations to a digestion step followed by instrumental measurement, so users do not choose their own alternative procedure.

Determination of dry matter content

Clause 6.1 requires dry matter content to be determined in accordance with prEN 17773:2026 for by-products, thermal oxidation materials and derivates, and recovered high-purity materials. This matters because dry matter is a basic quality and compliance parameter that affects how results are compared and reported.

Determination of total organic carbon

Clause 6.2 requires total organic carbon content to be determined in accordance with prEN 17776:2026 for by-products and recovered high-purity materials. This is the measure used when organic carbon content is needed for assessment of these component materials.

Link to EU fertilising product requirements

Annex ZA connects the clause requirements to Regulation (EU) 2019/1009. It identifies which clauses provide the technical basis for conformity with the relevant essential requirements for CMC 11, CMC 13, and CMC 15. For users, this is the bridge between the laboratory result and the legal compliance file.

What terms does FprEN 18298 define?

FprEN 18298 relies on the vocabulary in EN 12944-1 and EN 12944-2. The terms below are the main ones used throughout the document.

• Component material categories (CMCs) - the category structure used in Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 to classify component materials for EU fertilising products.
• By-products - one of the component material types covered by this standard for elemental and parameter determination.
• Thermal oxidation materials and derivates - a covered component material type for which dry matter is determined.
• Recovered high-purity materials - a covered component material type for which dry matter and total organic carbon are determined.
• Dry matter content - the amount of material remaining after water is removed, used as a basic composition parameter.
• Total organic carbon (TOC) - the carbon associated with organic matter, used here as a measured parameter for selected component materials.

Who uses FprEN 18298?

FprEN 18298 is used by testing laboratories, fertilizer producers, and conformity assessment bodies working with EU fertilising products. It is also relevant to quality managers and buyers who need test results for by-products, thermal oxidation materials and derivates, or recovered high-purity materials.

In practice, these users apply the document when they need to select the correct test method, prepare compliance documentation, or check whether a component material meets the relevant requirements before use in a fertilizing product.

Which standards are used with FprEN 18298?

FprEN 18298 depends on several referenced documents that provide vocabulary and test methods.

• EN 12944-1:1999 - provides general fertilizer vocabulary used for terms in the document.
• EN 12944-2:1999 - provides fertilizer-specific vocabulary used with the terms and definitions clause.
• prEN 17768:2026 - provides digestion by aqua regia for subsequent determination of elements.
• prEN 17770:2026 - provides ICP-AES determination of total content of specific elements after digestion by aqua regia.
• prEN 17773:2026 - provides the method for determining dry matter content.
• prEN 17776:2026 - provides the method for determining total organic carbon content by dry combustion.

What does the FprEN 18298 document contain?

The document contains a short technical framework: scope, normative references, terms and definitions, sampling and sample preparation guidance, and method selection for specific elements and parameters. The substance is concentrated in Clauses 5 and 6, which map each covered material type to the referenced test method.

Annex ZA gives a correspondence table between the European Standard and Regulation (EU) 2019/1009. That annex is the part used when the document is applied to demonstrate conformity with the relevant EU fertilising product requirements.