Fertilizer Action Plan: recognition must now translate into delivery

(Posted on 22/05/26)

Fertilizers Europe has acknowledged the European Commission’s Fertilizer Action Plan, which recognises the strategic importance of domestic fertilizer production for Europe’s food security, agricultural resilience and industrial competitiveness. The Plan rightly stresses that farmers and fertilizer producers are part of the same value chain and that policy responses must address the needs of both sectors together, rather than shifting costs or risks from one actor to another. While recognising the competitiveness challenges and looming risks of deindustrialisation of the sector in the EU, the Plan regrettably fails to address mounting structural pressures, including high and volatile energy costs, carbon leakage risks and the regulatory burdens.

Fertilizers Europe recognises Commissioner Hansen’s efforts to bring renewed political attention to fertilizers and to support a more structured dialogue between farmers, producers and policymakers on the resilience of Europe’s fertilizer value chain. “Europe’s fertilizer producers and farmers are part of the same food security value chain. A resilient European agriculture requires resilient European fertilizer production,” said Antoine Hoxha, Director General of Fertilizers Europe. “We therefore welcome the announcement that the Commission will take steps to support its domestic fertilizer industry, to prevent deindustrialisation and reduce EU’s dependency on imports. The Action Plan rightly identifies the need to look at affordability, domestic production capacity, competitiveness and investment in low-carbon technologies altogether. The key question now is whether this recognition will be translated into measures that are concrete, timely and workable.”

Fertilizers Europe supports short-term measures to help farmers cope with high fertilizer prices and market volatility. “At a time of continued geopolitical instability and high energy costs, farmers need access to fertilizers and producers need the conditions to keep producing in Europe,” added Hoxha. “Short-term support for farmers is essential, but it must be designed as part of a holistic value-chain approach that also safeguards Europe’s production base”. The European fertilizer industry underlines that strategic autonomy requires policy consistency and fair competitive conditions. “We welcome recognition of the importance of CBAM and the need to further strengthen the mechanism to ensure that EU industry is not exposed to the risk of carbon leakage. With the upcoming ETS Revision, we call on the European Commission to fully recognise the specific situation of the fertiliser value chain and thus grant EU fertilizer producer more flexibility, including a slower phase-out of free emissions allowances” underlined Antoine Hoxha.

The Plan promotes nutrient-efficient farming practices as well as the uptake of recovered and organic nutrients. Hoxha stressed “Recovered and organic nutrients are complementary with mineral fertilizers. When developing new policies, legislators must recognise that the untapped potential of organic and circular nutrients is limited. Under current technologies, organic fertilisers can replace up to 3% of currently applied N fertilisers making home-grown mineral fertilisers essential for Europe’s food security”.  

The sector takes note of the Commission’s promise to address carbon leakage. “The transition will not happen through ambition alone,” said Antoine Hoxha. “Low-carbon fertilizers need a business case. That means access to competitively priced energy, level playing field, targeted funding, lead markets and a regulatory framework that ensures technology neutrality and gives companies the confidence to invest.”

“The Action Plan is a starting point, not a solution in itself,” concluded Antoine Hoxha. “What matters now is delivery: clear timelines, concrete and effective measures on energy and carbon costs, targeted support for industrial investment, and a structured partnership between policymakers, farmers and fertilizer producers. Europe cannot afford another strategy that recognises the problem but fails to change the operating conditions on the ground.”

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