The European Commission is presenting on Tuesday a fertiliser plan aimed at preventing another farm uprising ahead of key negotiations on the bloc’s agricultural budget as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East sends fertiliser prices soaring.
After the rural unrest that has shaken capitals from Belgium to France and Germany over the past two years, Brussels appears increasingly worried that sharply rising energy and fertiliser costs could trigger a renewed backlash against the EU’s climate agenda.
EU officials are particularly wary that high fertiliser prices could reduce crop yields, diminish food production and deepen resentment toward green policies at a time when far-right and populist parties are making gains in rural areas across the EU.
In the EU’s draft fertiliser plan, which Euronews obtained and which may change slightly before its official presentation, farmers are set to benefit from emergency EU agriculture funds and advance payments under the condition that they switch to more sustainable practices like cutting synthetic fertiliser use and embracing bio-based fertilisers.
While no new funds for farmers are expected in the Commission’s plan, it proposes short-term actions to “improve access” to affordable fertilisers, which implies a reshuffling of EU agricultural funds under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Talking about the fertiliser plan, Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner for Agriculture, recently said that €200 million remains in the CAP’s crisis reserve and expressed intentions to “at least double this amount” to support farmers.
A senior Commission official told reporters on Monday that the Commission will provide targeted “exceptional support” to the most affected farmers and more money will be mobilised under the EU budget “to reinforce agriculture research”. However, the amount is still under discussion.
Environmentalists have previously said the EU’s CAP proposal under the 2027-2034 budget was “highly problematic” and failed to boost funding for protecting and restoring nature and agroecosystems.
“Without dedicated funding for nature or agro-ecosystems, how do they expect to create real change for a sector already suffering the consequences of the climate, nature, and pollution crisis?” read a joint statement from four Brussels-based environmental NGOs.
Working to a deadline
The EU has an annual agricultural crisis reserve of at least €450 million to help farmers cope with market disturbances, animal diseases and extreme weather events. The CAP fund is currently split into two parts, a large one to support active farmers and a smaller one for rural villages.
But the Commission proposed dismantling the traditional farming budget in the next seven-year budget and merging it into a single, larger fund worth €6.3 billion over seven years – a proposal that farmers have resisted.
The industry group Copa Cogeca said the Commission proposal for CAP funding under the next multi-annual budget was “unacceptable”, calling for alternatives that respect the nature of the CAP, maintaining it as a “stand-alone policy with two pillars, a secure and independent budget and inflation-proof funding”.
EU leaders have set a strict deadline of late 2026 to agree on the exact total amount of cash available under the CAP for the seven-year budget.
A matter of urgency
The Commission’s plan also looks at boosting domestic production of fertilisers, which remains 10-15% below where it stood before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the resulting surge in gas prices.
The bloc’s fertiliser dependency became especially visible during the 2022 energy crisis, when several fertiliser plants scaled back or temporarily shut down production because of unprofitable operating conditions.
With global markets now facing havoc thanks to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the Commission said that domestic EU production has also been “highly impacted” by energy prices, particularly when it comes to nitrogen fertilisers, where prices are now 70% above the 2024 average.
Commissioner Hansen regretted the current lack of domestic fertiliser production recognising the bloc’s current limitations.
“There are farmers who have to pay to get rid of their farm litter because they’re limited in their use of nitrates and nitrogen on their soil,” the Austrian Commissioner said. “I think that if the crisis continues, we should also, possibly, review the limits that are currently in place.”
Nicoló Giacomuzzi-Moore, executive director at the Commission-backed Circular Bio-Base Europe Joint Undertaking, said that bio-based fertilisers could replace a substantial share of synthetic nutrients, pointing out that studies indicate that substituting just 20-40% of synthetic fertiliser use could significantly reduce costs during price spikes while bringing environmental benefits.
However, even if the industry is seeking recognition to boost market demand, bio-based solutions for farmers are more costly than traditional fertilisers.
Giacomuzzi-Moore warned that Europe is not alone in this race, with third countries “investing massively” and ready to compete ultimately to bring prices down.
“We are certainly among the best in research and innovation,” he said. “Now we must become the best at ensuring a reliable path to market and we have to do it urgently.”
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