This draft European Standard specifies the requirements for biodegradable films, manufactured from thermoplastic materials, to be used for mulch applications in agriculture and horticulture. This draft European Standard is applicable to films intended to biodegrade in soil without creating any adverse impact on the environment. It also specifies the test methods to assess these requirements as well as requirements for the packaging, identification and marking of films. For information, it defines a classification of biodegradable mulch films according to their service life on soil and gives a good practice guide for the use of the films. NOTE Films intended to be removed after use and not incorporated in the soil are not in the scope of this standard. See EN 13655 [1].