Lack of Urgency From EU Commission on Fertiliser Crisis Very Dangerous
IFA President Francie Gorman will travel to Strasbourg tomorrow to take part in a COPA action demanding urgent action by the EU Commission on the fertiliser crisis.
Francie Gorman is a Vice-President of COPA and he will join other farm leaders from across Europe to put pressure on the Commission.
“It’s hard to overstate how far off the pace the EU Commission is when it comes to the fertiliser issue in Ireland and across the EU. Unless they intervene, we are looking at a very serious situation in terms of food production. It’s inexplicable that this is not getting the attention it should be getting,” he said.
“We estimate that CBAM will cost EU farmers almost €900m in 2026. The Commission imposed this tax on farmers and has refused to reverse course despite the price of fertiliser more or less doubling in price. One would be forgiven for thinking that there are some in the Commission who welcome the massive increase in fertiliser prices. It’s hard to think any differently given their inaction on CBAM.”
“Based on leaked versions of what will be announced tomorrow, the Commission’s Fertiliser Action Plan will do absolutely nothing to address either the availability or price of fertiliser. To consider publishing a Fertiliser Action Plan and not address CBAM is quite incredible. One would have to question if the Commission has any interest at all in addressing the price or availability of fertiliser across the EU.”
At the start of 2026, the EU Commission imposed a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) tariff on imported nitrogen fertiliser across the EU. This has coincided with a massive increase in world fertiliser prices and has served to further exacerbate a situation that was already extremely serious.
“Fertiliser is a critical raw material in the production of crops. Without it we would face massive food shortages across Europe and beyond. It’s about time the Commission woke up, realised this, and immediately suspended CBAM on fertiliser.”
