MEPs also want the European Commission to investigate whether a joint purchasing mechanism for fertilizers should be established.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, prices for artificial fertilizers and energy rose sharply, affecting food prices. Prices for nitrogen fertilizers increased by 149% in September 2022, with the largest fertilizer manufacturers posting record profits.
The Parliament urges the Commission to ensure the supply of fertilizers, take measures to reduce prices, and increase strategic autonomy in fertilizer matters. However, EU politicians acknowledge that European self-sufficiency for mineral fertilizers in the medium term is "not realistic."
Dutch MEP Jan Huitema, co-initiator of the artificial fertilizer resolution, pointed out that agriculture will have to make optimal use of the fertilizers already available, such as animal manure and human waste.
Unfortunately, he said, this is hampered by European regulations. He criticized that farmers currently have to dispose of part of their own animal manure for a fee while simultaneously having to buy expensive artificial fertilizers.
In a resolution approved by a show of hands on Thursday, MEPs call for a European fertilizer strategy, preferably within a few months. They note that Russian gas, used in artificial fertilizer production, contributes to financing the war in Ukraine and therefore call for "allocating sufficient funds as soon as possible to end dependence on this gas."
The initiator of the extensive non-binding resolution, the German Chair of the Agriculture Committee Norbert Lins (EPP), said: "We urgently need to ensure sufficient fertilizers for our farmers and require more action to reduce their purchase prices.
Replacing mineral fertilizers with nutrients from biological sources would significantly broaden the toolbox for farmers and make European agriculture less dependent on imports of artificial fertilizers from third countries."