On Tuesday, May 26th, at the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, Belgium, Member States discussed current developments in the EU’s external trade and the availability of fertilisers.
During the discussion on the EU’s external trade, Latvia stressed that in the current geopolitical and economic circumstances, the EU must continue to strengthen the competitiveness of its farmers and food producers while ensuring secure and resilient supply chains. Latvia reiterated the need to address significant differences between production standards in the EU and third countries, particularly where imports from third countries may create an uneven playing field for EU producers.
Latvia also stressed the need to maintain a consistent policy of reducing trade relations with Russia and Belarus. The EU’s next proposal to increase tariffs should also cover mineral fertilisers that are currently not subject to higher EU import tariffs, as well as fish and fish products.
Member States also discussed the situation in the fertiliser market, as rising mineral fertiliser prices and risks to their availability are having a significant impact on farmers’ production costs across the EU. Latvia stressed that food production and food security are essential to national sovereignty. Geopolitical disruptions, rising energy costs and disruptions to global supply chains are placing additional pressure on farmers. Targeted and swift EU action is therefore needed to improve the availability and affordability of fertilisers in the short term and ease cost pressures on farmers.
Ensuring stable availability and prices of mineral fertilisers is essential to the resilience of the agricultural sector and food systems. This requires reducing dependence on third-country markets, promoting the circular economy, and supporting innovative solutions, the introduction of precision technologies and efficient nutrient management in agriculture.