European Commission outlines fertiliser plan

The European Commission on May 19 published a fertiliser action plan that sets out short-term farm support, supply-diversification steps and preparedness options including possible stockpiling for key fertilisers and inputs. The paper says fertilisers are essential to agricultural productivity, farm viability and food security, and that Europe is again facing a steep rise in mineral fertiliser prices. The Commission framed the plan as a response to persistent high prices, import dependence and supply risks exposed by recent geopolitical shocks. It said the goal is to improve availability, affordability and “strategic autonomy” in home-grown EU fertilisers. ### Why did Brussels say a new fertiliser plan was needed now? The Commission said Europe remains dependent on imports for a large share of inorganic fertilisers and the raw materials used to make them, including natural gas, ammonia and phosphate rock. On its agriculture website, it said roughly 30% of EU nitrogen fertiliser demand and 70% of phosphatic fertiliser needs are met through imports. (agriculture.ec.europa.eu) The Commission also said domestic production is exposed to energy costs because natural gas is both a feedstock and a major energy source for nitrogen fertilisers. Its background note said the 2026 closure of the Strait of Hormuz had further disrupted supply chains, after earlier shocks linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. (agriculture.ec.europa.eu) ### What does the plan promise for farmers in the near term? The annex to the action plan says the Commission will provide targeted exceptional support for the most-affected farmers through existing Common Agricultural Policy instruments and propose a targeted CAP package so member states can make fuller use of support in current strategic plans. The measures listed include a new liquidity scheme, advanced payments and support for more efficient fertiliser use. (agriculture.ec.europa.eu) The annex also says Brussels will use a temporary state-aid framework for primary agricultural producers affected by the Middle East crisis, complementing existing aid tools. It lists those steps for Q2 2026 and says short-term measures to facilitate use of digestates, including a possible extension of the RENURE act, are planned for Q3 2026. (agriculture.ec.europa.eu) ### How does the Commission want to make supply more resilient? The Commission said it may consider additional trade measures, if legally and economically justified and warranted by market conditions, to improve access to fertilisers from a broader range of suppliers. The annex says that work would begin from Q2 2026 onward while taking account of domestic producers and import-dependent fragile countries. (agriculture.ec.europa.eu) The same annex says the Commission will promote diversification of ammonia, urea and other fertiliser sources through international partnerships, including under the Global Gateway strategy and a Team Europe approach. It also says Brussels will assess supply-chain risks tied to potash, phosphate rock and related fertilisers and identify resilience measures if needed. (agriculture.ec.europa.eu) ### Where does stockpiling fit into the proposal? The annex says the Commission will “assess stockpiling and other preparedness options for key fertilisers and inputs, including recommendations at farm level,” with work starting in 2026. That language stops short of announcing immediate EU-wide reserves, but it places fertilisers inside a broader preparedness agenda already being developed by the Commission. (agriculture.ec.europa.eu) The Commission’s wider stockpiling strategy, launched in 2025, said the bloc would coordinate national reserves, identify critical supply gaps and use targeted EU-level stockpiles where needed. A Commission questions-and-answers document said agriculture and water security were among the areas under review for potential measures against shortages in crises. (agriculture.ec.europa.eu) ### What new coordination steps are supposed to follow? The Commission said it would launch an EU fertilisers value-chain partnership bringing together fertiliser producers, farmers and member states to provide predictability and stability and support periodic policy dialogues. The annex schedules that partnership from Q3 2026 onward. (ec.europa.eu) The action plan and annex are dated Strasbourg, May 19, 2026, as COM(2026) 310 final. The next concrete milestones in the document begin in Q2 2026, with farm-support, trade and resilience measures, followed by the value-chain partnership from Q3 2026. (agriculture.ec.europa.eu 1) (agriculture.ec.europa.eu 2)