FprEN 18299

• Abstract:

  This document specifies references to methods to be used for the detection of Salmonella spp. and the enumeration of Escherichia coli and enterococci in soil improvers and growing media, but does not contain the methods themselves.; This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilizing products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilizing products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply. ; NOTE A soil improver or a growing medium consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 31-Jan-2027
• ICS: 65.080 - Fertilizers
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 223 - Soil improvers and growing media
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 223/WG 6 - Harmonization
• Current Stage: 4599 - Dispatch of FV draft to CMC - Finalization for Vote
• Start Date: 19-Aug-2026
• Due Date: 27-Aug-2026
• Completion Date: 19-Aug-2026
• Directive: Not Harmonized2003/2003 - Regulation (EC) N° 2003/2003 of the European Parlament and of the council of 13 October 2003 relating to fertilisers
• Directive:

  ---

  Harmonized Standard2019/1009 - Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 laying down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products and amending Regulations (EC) No 1069/2009 and (EC) No 1107/2009 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 (Text with EEA relevance)
• Mandate: M/564 - Fertilising products in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009
• Mandate: M/564 Amd 1 - amending Implementing Decision C(2020) 612 as regards certain harmonised standards and standardisation deliverables, deadlines for their adoption and the duration of the validity of the standardisation request
• Mandate: M/564 Amd 2 - Commission Implementing decision amending Implementing Decision C(2020)612 as regards harmonised standards, the deadlines for the adoption of those standards and the duration of the validity of the standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation as regards the EU fertilising products in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Mandate: M/xxx - COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of XXX on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute in support of the implementation of Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/2052 laying down ecodesign requirements for external power supplies, wireless chargers, wireless charging pads, battery chargers for portable batteries of general use and USB Type-C cables, pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1782
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 18299:2026 - Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for the detection of Salmonella spp. and the enumeration of Escherichia coli and enterococci

Overview

FprEN 18299, developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), establishes guidance for the detection of Salmonella spp. and the enumeration of Escherichia coli and enterococci in soil improvers and growing media. The standard is applicable to fertilizing product blends where soil improvers and/or growing media constitute the predominant component by mass, volume, or, in liquid form, by dry mass. This document provides references to the specific testing methods for microbiological safety and compliance but does not include the methods themselves.

By ensuring consistent references to validated test methods, FprEN 18299 supports manufacturers, laboratories, and regulatory authorities in meeting essential requirements for placing EU fertilizing products on the market, as per Regulation (EU) 2019/1009.

Key Topics

• Product Coverage

  • Applicable to soil improvers and growing media, covering both single-component and multi-component, blend-based products
  • Includes blends with fertilizers, liming materials, inhibitors, plant biostimulants, and more, provided soil improvers/growing media are predominant

• Microbiological Parameters

  • Detection of Salmonella spp.
  • Enumeration (counting) of Escherichia coli (E. coli)
  • Enumeration of enterococci

• Reference to Standard Methods

  • Refers to CEN standards for sampling (EN 12579:2024)
  • Details on sample preparation and individual microbiological testing methods
  • Includes clear instructions for determining which standard applies when products are mixed in equal quantities

• Regulatory Context

  • Aligns with requirements in Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 for marketing EU fertilizing products, specifically categories PFC 3 (soil improvers) and PFC 4 (growing media)
  • Supports compliance and presumption of conformity with essential safety requirements for microbiological contaminants

Applications

FprEN 18299 is a vital reference for various stakeholders ensuring the microbiological safety of soil improvers and growing media, including:

• Manufacturers of Soil Improvers and Growing Media
  Helps ensure product safety, efficacy, and marketability by referencing established methods for pathogen detection and quantification.

• Blenders and Distributors of Fertilizing Products
  Provides guidance on which standard to apply for complex mixtures and blended products, supporting correct labeling and regulatory compliance.

• Testing and Analytical Laboratories
  Directs laboratories to the appropriate CEN standards for sample collection, preparation, and microbiological testing, enabling standardized, repeatable results.

• Regulators and Market Surveillance Bodies
  Offers a clear framework for assessing whether products comply with EU rules on microbiological contamination, protecting public health and the environment.

• End Users (e.g., commercial growers, landscaping firms, garden centers)
  Indirectly assures product users of the microbiological quality of the materials they employ, reducing risks associated with pathogenic contamination.

Related Standards

FprEN 18299 should be used in conjunction with other key European standards and regulatory documents, including:

• prEN 17732:2025 – Terminology for soil improvers and growing media
• EN 12579:2024 – Sampling of soil improvers and growing media
• prEN 13040-2:2025 – Sample preparation for microbiological examination
• prEN 18278:2026 – Detection of Salmonella spp. in soil improvers and growing media
• prEN 18279:2026 – Enumeration of enterococci
• prEN 18280:2026 – Enumeration of Escherichia coli
• Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 – Rules for making fertilizing products available on the EU market

Adhering to FprEN 18299 and its related standards ensures consistency, traceability, and safety across the value chain of soil improvers and growing media, facilitating compliance with European market requirements.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-marec-2026
Izboljševalci tal in rastni substrati - Metode za ugotavljanje prisotnosti Salmonella
spp. ter ugotavljanje števila Escherichia coli in enterokokov
Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for the detection of Salmonella spp. and the
enumeration of Escherichia coli and enterococci
Organische Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate - Nachweis spezifischer
Pathogene
Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Méthodes de recherche des Salmonella
spp. et de dénombrement des Escherichia coli et des entérocoques
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 18299
ICS:
65.080 Gnojila Fertilizers
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 18299
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
January 2026
ICS 65.080
English Version
Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for the
detection of Salmonella spp. and the enumeration of
Escherichia coli and enterococci
Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Méthodes Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate -
de recherche des Salmonella spp. et de dénombrement Verfahren zum Nachweis von Salmonella spp. und zur
des Escherichia coli et des entérocoques Auszählung von Escherichia coli und Enterokokken
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 223.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATIO N

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUN G

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 18299:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

prEN 18299:2026 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Sampling and sample preparation . 5
5 Detection and enumeration . 6
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship of this European Standard and the essential requirements of
Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 making available on the market of EU fertilising products
aimed to be covered . 7
Bibliography . 8
prEN 18299:2026 (E)
European foreword
This document (prEN 18299:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 223 “Soil
improvers and growing media”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document has been prepared under a standardisation request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
For the relationship with EU Legislation, see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this
document.
prEN 18299:2026 (E)
Introduction
Different product functions warrant different product safety, quality and quantity requirements adapted
to their different intended uses. EU fertilizing products have therefore been divided into different product
function categories (PFCs), which are subject to specific safety, quality and quantity requirements, as
specified in the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1].
Soil improvers have been classified as PFC 3, growing media have been classified as PFC 4. The specific
requirements in relation to specific pathogens (Escherichia coli, enterococci and Salmonella spp
...