The European Commission has presented a package of measures to secure the supply of artificial fertilizers and to protect food security in Europe. The cause is the sharply increased prices and unrest in the international energy market, due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.
Vulnerable
According to the Commission, European farmers have become vulnerable due to disruptions in fertilizer supply and fluctuating gas prices. Almost half of the raw materials for fertilizer production come from the Middle East.
Brussels wants to support farmers in the short term with additional financial room within the agricultural policy. A strengthened agricultural reserve should also provide more financial support.
Promotion
Furthermore, the Commission wants to give EU countries more possibilities to deploy existing agricultural subsidies more quickly and flexibly. Proposals will be made to give farmers advances and support for more efficient fertilizer use more easily. But agrarian organizations point out that this is 'existing' EU money for agriculture, not 'extra, new' subsidies.
More manure
The European Commission simultaneously strongly focuses on a larger European own artificial fertilizer industry. Europe must become less dependent on imports and better withstand international shocks in the energy market. This will be a process lasting many years.
An important part of the plan is the reuse of animal manure (Renure), digestate, and agricultural waste. Alternatives such as bio-based fertilizers, algae, bio-stimulants, and recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus will also play a larger role.
Brussels is further investigating how the fertilizer sector can become more sustainable without putting additional pressure on production in Europe. The Commission is also looking at the effects of European carbon policies on fertilizer prices and food costs.
Not really new
Farmer organizations and various politicians react critically. They believe that the plan mainly consists of long-term measures, while farmers expect quick help now that production costs continue to rise. They also point out that many of the 25 points have long been in preparation within the EU and are not really new.
The Commission sticks to the existing carbon policy for polluting import products. Brussels also chooses not to suspend the controversial CBAM tariffs or import measures (which came into effect earlier this year) temporarily and fully, despite pressure from parts of the agricultural sector.