EU Commission to Unveil Fertiliser Action Plan Amid Price Surge and Farmer Anger

The European Commission will issue measures to address soaring fertiliser costs, driven by a global shortage of key ingredients due to the Strait of Hormuz closure and increased energy prices. Nitrogen fertiliser prices in April were over 70% higher than 2024 averages. The draft Fertiliser Action Plan, seen by RTÉ News, proposes short-term relief and long-term sector readjustment, focusing on home-grown and organic fertilisers.

Measures include liquidity support for farmers, flexible advance payments from the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) to help repay loans and meet supplier obligations, and using existing CAP emergency funds. The plan also encourages voluntary commitments among producers and farmers for home-grown fertiliser availability and affordability, and supports decarbonisation of the EU fertiliser industry. Member states are encouraged to increase CAP funding for eco and climate schemes, and use Covid recovery funds for biogas and biomethane production.

The Commission suggests member states could trigger the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act (IMERA) to designate fertilisers as «crisis-relevant goods», enabling enhanced monitoring and joint procurement. However, the Commission has refused to suspend the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) tax, which came into effect on January 1 and adds to fertiliser costs, despite lobbying from the Irish Government.

IFA President Francie Gorman reacted angrily to the leaked plan, stating CBAM will cost EU farmers almost €900 million by 2026. He criticised the Commission for not addressing CBAM, arguing the plan does nothing for fertiliser availability or price. Gorman will join a protest by COPA at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where the Commission will unveil the action plan.