A High-Level Dialogue on Fertilisers was held on Monday 13 April in Brussels, bringing together key stakeholders, including farmers’ representatives, fertiliser industry leaders and other key actors The aim was to prepare the European Commission’s future action plan in this area (see EUROPE 13845/5).
The Commission was represented by the Directors-General of the Directorates-General for Agriculture (AGRI), Internal Market, Industry and Enterprise (GROW) and Taxation and Customs (TAXUD).
The Commission hopes to publish its Fertiliser Action Plan by the beginning of May, whereas it was initially expected in June.
Participants discussed ways of supporting the competitiveness of farmers, strengthening the European fertiliser industry and reducing the Union’s strategic dependence on fertiliser imports and essential raw materials, while preserving climate and environmental ambitions, explained a European source.
The discussions focused on three priorities:
- boosting EU fertiliser production through investment, decarbonisation, and energy-cost mitigation;
- supporting farmers in accessing affordable, low-carbon fertilisers and improving nutrient efficiency;
- diversifying supply chains, including by upscaling bio-based fertilisers and nutrient recycling, and through alternative trade partnerships.
The conclusions of this dialogue will feed into the Fertiliser Action Plan, due to be adopted in the coming weeks.
This action plan will include both short-term measures and longer-term structural reforms. It will aim to improve the availability and affordability of fertilisers for farmers and food production, strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy and resilience by consolidating domestic production and reducing dependency, and accelerate the transition to low-carbon, low-fossil-energy fertilisers based on circular models.
The plan will be based on an approach founded on transparency, dialogue and an evidence-based approach across the fertiliser supply chain.
For its part, the Farm Europe think-tank claims that the inclusion of fertilisers in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has led to a persistent increase in costs for European farmers. Farm Europe is calling for changes to the ETS and CBAM schemes, and for a new mechanism to finance the transition. According to the think tank, the Carbon Removals Certification Framework of 2024 (Regulation 2024/3012 establishing an EU certification framework for permanent carbon removals) should become a central pillar of the system, enabling a fairer valuation of CO2 throughout the fertiliser-grain chain and giving farmers access to regulated and genuinely remunerative carbon markets.
Finally, Farm Europe is calling for a technology-neutral approach, priority support for ‘Made in EU’ solutions, and the removal of regulatory barriers to organic fertilisers such as manure, digestates and recycled nutrients. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)